Graft case against Virbhadra: HC seeks all vigilance records

The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Friday summoned the entire records relating to the corruption case registered against Union Minister for Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh – a former Congress MP,but declined to sent notices to state’s Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and Director General of Police DS Manhas.

Singh had last month filed a fresh petition in the high court seeking quashing of the corruption FIR registered against him on the basis of a controversial audio-CD released by former minister Major (Rtd) Vijai Singh Mankotia. The CD purportedly contained the voices of Singh,his wife,a retired IAS Officer Mohinder Lal and KN Sharma (a former officer on special duty to the chief minister ). Both,Lal and Sharma have died.

Based on a probe report filed by the state’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau,a Shimla court had started the trial against Singh and his wife. The court would resume the hearing on September 24.

A division bench Comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice VK Ahuja heard the arguments of Singh’s counsels,but did not pass any order to stay the proceedings in the trial court. The bench,however,said that “the petitioners may bring it to the notice of the trial court that the writ petition (seeking the quashing of the FIR) is fixed for November 4 in the high court,so that the trial court may pass appropriate orders”.