The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday said the Himachal Pradesh government was “blocking” its investigation into the disproportionate assets case against Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, PTI reported. The investigative agency told the Delhi High Court that the state government was acting as the chief minister’s proxy, when they should be helping the CBI with the probe. The agency has found that Singh acquired disproportionate wealth worth Rs 10 crore between 2009 and 2011 during his term as Union minister of steel.
Appearing for the CBI, Additional Solicitor General PS Patwalia said the government’s argument that the investigation could have been handled by the state police and courts “pulls wool over no one’s eyes”. “The chief minister is the executive head of the state. The police is under the state’s Home Department and the Home portfolio is with the CM,” he told the court.
The state government told the court that it had not given its consent to transfer the probe to the CBI. The advocate general of the state said “a subject [the CM and his family] of the state has been put to discriminatory treatment”. He said the CBI did not have the power to probe a case without the consent of the state.
On September 26, the CBI had raided Singh's house after filing a First Information Report against him. Singh had approached the high court, seeking protection from arrest, which was approved. The CBI then moved the high court against the decision and alleged that the judge presiding over Singh's case had been his lawyer in a previous. Subsequently, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Singh and his wife asking for response, and then decided to transfer the case to Delhi in November 2015.
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