Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order to frame charges against them for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets (DA) of over Rs 10 crore.

The 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife have sought quashing of the December 10, 2018 trial court order directing framing of charges against Singh, his wife and seven others in the case lodged by CBI.

The trial court is yet to formally frame the charges against the couple and the matter is listed for January 29.

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A Delhi Court on Dec 10 last year ordered the framing of criminal misconduct charges against Virbhadra Singh, his wife &amp; others in the DA Case against them. Court had ordered to frame charges under section 13(2) read with section 13(1)(e) of prevention of corruption act. <a href="https://t.co/VODOaOpYgb">https://t.co/VODOaOpYgb</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1087986770950701056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The court had in its December order said that Singh intended to cause loss to tax authorities by presenting unaccounted money as sale proceeds of apples and had also ordered framing of charges against his wife and seven others for allegedly abetting in the offences.

The CBI had registered the case against Singh and others for allegedly amassing assets worth around Rs 10 crore disproportionate to their known source of income when he was the Union Minister in the UPA government.&nbsp;

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order to frame charges against them for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets (DA) of over Rs 10 crore.

Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh Wednesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging a trial court order to frame charges against them for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets (DA) of over Rs 10 crore. The 82-year-old Congress leader and his wife have sought quashing of the December 10, 2018 trial court order directing framing of charges against Singh, his wife and seven others in the case lodged by CBI. The trial court is yet to formally frame the charges against the couple and the matter is listed for January 29. A Delhi Court on Dec 10 last year ordered the framing of criminal misconduct charges against Virbhadra Singh, his wife & others in the DA Case against them. Court had ordered to frame charges under section 13(2) read with section 13(1)(e) of prevention of corruption act. https://t.co/VODOaOpYgb — ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2019 × The court had in its December order said that Singh intended to cause loss to tax authorities by presenting unaccounted money as sale proceeds of apples and had also ordered framing of charges against his wife and seven others for allegedly abetting in the offences. The CBI had registered the case against Singh and others for allegedly amassing assets worth around Rs 10 crore disproportionate to their known source of income when he was the Union Minister in the UPA government.

Disproportionate assets case: Former Himachal CM Virbhadra Singh move HC challenging trial court order

The CBI has said Jain and his relatives had stakes in companies Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Mangalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd.&nbsp;

The CBI on Monday chargesheeted Delhi minister Satyendar Jain for allegedly amassing assets to the tune of Rs 1.47 crore, which the agency said was “217.20 per cent” above his known sources of income between 2015-17.

In the chargesheet filed in special CBI court at Patiala House, the agency alleged that “ill-gotten money” was routed to four companies controlled by Jain and his relatives through “accommodation entries” — a term used for hawala transfers — in Kolkata-based shell companies.

It alleged that his wife Poonam Jain was actively involved in the process hence she has been made accused along with Jain’s business associates and relatives — Ajit Prasad Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain and Ankush Jain.

The CBI has said Jain and his relatives had stakes in companies Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Mangalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd.

Jain, the minister for health, home, power, PWD, industries, urban development and flood and irrigation in the Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi government, was director in all but one — Mangalyatan Projects, the CBI alleged.

Although he resigned from the directorship before Delhi Assembly elections in 2013, family members continued to hold shares in these companies and his shares were transferred to his wife on February 10, 2015 through whom he kept “effective” control over the firms, the agency has alleged.

It is alleged that three companies — Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, and Mangalyatan Projects — received Rs 1.53 crore as accommodation entries from Kolkata-based shell companies.

The CBI has alleged that there is no explanation for Rs 1.47 crore, which is 217.20 per cent over and above his legitimate income between 2015 and 2017.

The CBI has alleged that Jain was assisted in routing this “ill-gotten money through shell companies” by chartered accountant JP Mohta and a hawala operator Rajendra Bansal.

It has claimed that he and Vaibhav Jain sent money to Bansal, who in turn provided accommodation entries in the form of share application money in the said firms from the shell companies between 2010 and 2016 — even after becoming minister in the Aam Aadmi Party government.

Reacting to the development, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Twitter that Jain is being charged because of his scheme to convert unauthorised colonies into regular ones as Prime Minister Narenda Modi is fearful of that.

He said people will give a reply to Modi.

The CBI has said Jain and his relatives had stakes in companies Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Mangalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd. The CBI on Monday chargesheeted Delhi minister Satyendar Jain for allegedly amassing assets to the tune of Rs 1.

The CBI has said Jain and his relatives had stakes in companies Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Mangalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd. The CBI on Monday chargesheeted Delhi minister Satyendar Jain for allegedly amassing assets to the tune of Rs 1.47 crore, which the agency said was “217.20 per cent” above his known sources of income between 2015-17. In the chargesheet filed in special CBI court at Patiala House, the agency alleged that “ill-gotten money” was routed to four companies controlled by Jain and his relatives through “accommodation entries” — a term used for hawala transfers — in Kolkata-based shell companies. It alleged that his wife Poonam Jain was actively involved in the process hence she has been made accused along with Jain’s business associates and relatives — Ajit Prasad Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain and Ankush Jain. The CBI has said Jain and his relatives had stakes in companies Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, Mangalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd. Jain, the minister for health, home, power, PWD, industries, urban development and flood and irrigation in the Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi government, was director in all but one — Mangalyatan Projects, the CBI alleged. Although he resigned from the directorship before Delhi Assembly elections in 2013, family members continued to hold shares in these companies and his shares were transferred to his wife on February 10, 2015 through whom he kept “effective” control over the firms, the agency has alleged. It is alleged that three companies — Prayas Info Solutions, Akinchan Developers, and Mangalyatan Projects — received Rs 1.53 crore as accommodation entries from Kolkata-based shell companies. The CBI has alleged that there is no explanation for Rs 1.47 crore, which is 217.20 per cent over and above his legitimate income between 2015 and 2017. The CBI has alleged that Jain was assisted in routing this “ill-gotten money through shell companies” by chartered accountant JP Mohta and a hawala operator Rajendra Bansal. It has claimed that he and Vaibhav Jain sent money to Bansal, who in turn provided accommodation entries in the form of share application money in the said firms from the shell companies between 2010 and 2016 — even after becoming minister in the Aam Aadmi Party government. Reacting to the development, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Twitter that Jain is being charged because of his scheme to convert unauthorised colonies into regular ones as Prime Minister Narenda Modi is fearful of that. He said people will give a reply to Modi.

CBI chargesheets Satyendar Jain, wife for amassing disproportionate assets 

The CBI has registered a disproportionate assets case against retired deputy manager of Punjab National Bank (PNB) Gokulnath Shetty, a key accused in the Rs 11,400-crore scam involving Nirav Modi, for allegedly amassing wealth 200 per cent more than his known sources of income, officials said Friday.

The case was registered by the CBI's Anti Corruption Branch in Mumbai against Shetty and his wife Ashalata for allegedly amassing a large number of moveable and immoveable properties during the period between April 1, 2011 and May 31, 2017, the day he retired.

According to the CBI FIR, the couple had amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 2.63 crore during the period.

Shetty and his wife Ashalata, who is a clerk with Indian Bank, "had acquired disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 2.63 crore, which are 238.44 per cent disproportionate to their known sources of income", the CBI FIR alleged.

It also said that Ashalata had "been found to have actively assisted her husband in the concealment and acquisition of assets raised from ill-gotten wealth and thereby has abetted the offence of possession of disproportionate assets by a public servant".

Shetty was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in February this year after the banking fraud involving billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi surfaced.

The scam surfaced when companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi approached PNB's Brady Road branch, Mumbai, in January this year seeking Letter of Understanding (LoU) for payments to suppliers.

The official handling the case sought 100 per cent cash guarantee before any such letter could be issued to which the company officials said no such guarantee was sought in the past.

The official checked the records which did not show such an LoU to Modi or Choksi's company which led to suspicion.

It is alleged that Shetty had been bypassing PNB's core banking system and issuing LoUs fraudulently for seven years.

An LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to credit giving bank along with accruing interest.

Shetty allegedly sent messages of these LoUs using an international messaging system for banking systems called SWIFT (Society for Worldwide

Interbank Financial Telecommunication), which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds.

It is estimated that millions of messages are sent daily using the SWIFT technology globally wherein every member bank can send or receive messages of financial transactions to another bank worldwide.

The PNB officials allegedly sent these messages to Indian banks -- Canara Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Axis Bank, Allahabad Bank -- located in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Mauritius, Frankfurt without making entries in the banking software about the LoUs.

These LoUs and Letters of Credits (LC) worth Rs 11,384 crore were getting renewed or issued afresh for six years without the bank's knowledge.

The Indian banks abroad did not mind as their money was safe (under guarantee from PNB) and increasing because of the accruing interest.

The party was spoiled in January this year when the first renewal arose after the retirement of Shetty, the officials said.

An alarmed bank dug out all such LoUs and LCs showing a mammoth liability towards other banks.

The conniving officer also issued Foreign Letters of Credit by entering a smaller amount in trade finance module of Core Banking Solutions (CBS) system and generating the reference number and a SWIFT message was sent for the amount, the bank alleged.&nbsp;

The CBI has registered a disproportionate assets case against retired deputy manager of Punjab National Bank (PNB) Gokulnath Shetty, a key accused in the Rs 11,400-crore scam involving Nirav Modi, for allegedly amassing wealth 200 per cent more than his known sources of income, officials said Friday.

The CBI has registered a disproportionate assets case against retired deputy manager of Punjab National Bank (PNB) Gokulnath Shetty, a key accused in the Rs 11,400-crore scam involving Nirav Modi, for allegedly amassing wealth 200 per cent more than his known sources of income, officials said Friday. The case was registered by the CBI's Anti Corruption Branch in Mumbai against Shetty and his wife Ashalata for allegedly amassing a large number of moveable and immoveable properties during the period between April 1, 2011 and May 31, 2017, the day he retired. According to the CBI FIR, the couple had amassed disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 2.63 crore during the period. Shetty and his wife Ashalata, who is a clerk with Indian Bank, "had acquired disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 2.63 crore, which are 238.44 per cent disproportionate to their known sources of income", the CBI FIR alleged. It also said that Ashalata had "been found to have actively assisted her husband in the concealment and acquisition of assets raised from ill-gotten wealth and thereby has abetted the offence of possession of disproportionate assets by a public servant". Shetty was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in February this year after the banking fraud involving billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi surfaced. The scam surfaced when companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi approached PNB's Brady Road branch, Mumbai, in January this year seeking Letter of Understanding (LoU) for payments to suppliers. The official handling the case sought 100 per cent cash guarantee before any such letter could be issued to which the company officials said no such guarantee was sought in the past. The official checked the records which did not show such an LoU to Modi or Choksi's company which led to suspicion. It is alleged that Shetty had been bypassing PNB's core banking system and issuing LoUs fraudulently for seven years. An LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to credit giving bank along with accruing interest. Shetty allegedly sent messages of these LoUs using an international messaging system for banking systems called SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication), which is used to pass instructions among banks globally to transfer funds. It is estimated that millions of messages are sent daily using the SWIFT technology globally wherein every member bank can send or receive messages of financial transactions to another bank worldwide. The PNB officials allegedly sent these messages to Indian banks -- Canara Bank, State Bank of India, Bank of India, Axis Bank, Allahabad Bank -- located in Antwerp, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Mauritius, Frankfurt without making entries in the banking software about the LoUs. These LoUs and Letters of Credits (LC) worth Rs 11,384 crore were getting renewed or issued afresh for six years without the bank's knowledge. The Indian banks abroad did not mind as their money was safe (under guarantee from PNB) and increasing because of the accruing interest. The party was spoiled in January this year when the first renewal arose after the retirement of Shetty, the officials said. An alarmed bank dug out all such LoUs and LCs showing a mammoth liability towards other banks. The conniving officer also issued Foreign Letters of Credit by entering a smaller amount in trade finance module of Core Banking Solutions (CBS) system and generating the reference number and a SWIFT message was sent for the amount, the bank alleged.

CBI registers DA case against retired PNB official accused in Nirav Modi case

A supplementary charge sheet has been filed by the Enforcement Directorate in former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh&#39;s disproportionate assets case.

The charge sheet has been filed in Delhi&#39;s Patiala House court and names Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife along with others accused.

More details are awaited.&nbsp;

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Enforcement Directorate filed supplementary charge-sheet in Delhi&#39;s Patiala House court in former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh&#39;s disproportionate assets case.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/958933985337528321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

The charge-sheet has been filed in Delhi's Patiala House court

A supplementary charge sheet has been filed by the Enforcement Directorate in former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh's disproportionate assets case. The charge sheet has been filed in Delhi's Patiala House court and names Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife along with others accused. More details are awaited. Enforcement Directorate filed supplementary charge-sheet in Delhi's Patiala House court in former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh's disproportionate assets case. — ANI (@ANI) February 1, 2018 × (With inputs from ANI)

Disproportionate assets case: Charge sheet filed against former Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh

AIADMK leader VK Sasikala who has been imprisoned in a Bengaluru jail for a period of four years is now learning Kannada, reports said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Reports said that Sasikala has been attending classes conducted under the Adult Literacy Programme at Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara.&nbsp;

She has been learning alphabets, basic reading ability and pronunciation of Kannada and is also accompanied by sister-in-law and fellow convict J Ilavarasi who has been outperforming Sasikala.&nbsp;

Apart from the language, Sasikala has also been taking classes for basic computer science.&nbsp;

However, since Sasikala has taken a vow to remain silent, she could not appear for the oral examination but did well in writing, reports said.&nbsp;

The pair will receive participation certificates for having attended the course.

Additionally, women inmates will now be granted access to the jail library after Sasikala played a massive role in bringing the issue forward to the officials and also taking personal interest in sorting out the library.&nbsp;

Sasikala was convicted by the Supreme Court in February in a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/india-supreme-court-finds-sasikala-guilty-she-will-not-be-chief-minister-12382" target="_blank">disproportionate assets case</a>.

She was granted five days of parole to visit her <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/sasikala-granted-5-day-parole-to-visit-her-ailing-husband-21079" target="_blank">ailing husband</a> last year.&nbsp;

She has been learning alphabets, basic reading ability and pronunciation of Kannada. She is also accompanied by sister-in-law and fellow convict J Ilavarasi who has outperformed Sasikala

AIADMK leader VK Sasikala who has been imprisoned in a Bengaluru jail for a period of four years is now learning Kannada, reports said on Saturday. Reports said that Sasikala has been attending classes conducted under the Adult Literacy Programme at Central Prison, Parappana Agrahara. She has been learning alphabets, basic reading ability and pronunciation of Kannada and is also accompanied by sister-in-law and fellow convict J Ilavarasi who has been outperforming Sasikala. Apart from the language, Sasikala has also been taking classes for basic computer science. However, since Sasikala has taken a vow to remain silent, she could not appear for the oral examination but did well in writing, reports said. The pair will receive participation certificates for having attended the course. Additionally, women inmates will now be granted access to the jail library after Sasikala played a massive role in bringing the issue forward to the officials and also taking personal interest in sorting out the library. Sasikala was convicted by the Supreme Court in February in a disproportionate assets case. She was granted five days of parole to visit her ailing husband last year.

Sasikala learning Kannada, computer science in jail

In a blow to jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, the Supreme Court has dismissed her petiton seeking a review of its order convicting her along with two others in the disproportionate assets case.

&quot;We do not find any error in the common judgment impugned, much less an apparent error on the face of the record, so as to call for its review. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed,&quot; a bench of Justices S A Bobde and Amitava Roy.

Sasikala and two other convicts - V N Sudhakaran, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa&#39;s foster son and Elavarasi, widow of Sasikala&#39;s elder brother - had filed a review petition challenging the setting aside of Karnataka high court order acquiting them.

The AIADMK leader was convicted by the apex court in February this year dealing a blow to her ambition of becoming the chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

The jailed leader, who once dominated the Tamil Nadu politics as close aide of Jayalalithaa, has been relegated to the margins within the AIADMk after the two <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aiadmk-merger-announced-panneerselvam-to-be-deputy-chief-minister-19241" target="_blank">rival factions led by O Panneerselvam and Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami merged</a> &nbsp;on Monday. 
&nbsp;

The apex court had convicted V K Sasikala along with two others in the disproportionate assets case in February

In a blow to jailed AIADMK leader V K Sasikala, the Supreme Court has dismissed her petiton seeking a review of its order convicting her along with two others in the disproportionate assets case. "We do not find any error in the common judgment impugned, much less an apparent error on the face of the record, so as to call for its review. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed," a bench of Justices S A Bobde and Amitava Roy. Sasikala and two other convicts - V N Sudhakaran, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa's foster son and Elavarasi, widow of Sasikala's elder brother - had filed a review petition challenging the setting aside of Karnataka high court order acquiting them. The AIADMK leader was convicted by the apex court in February this year dealing a blow to her ambition of becoming the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. The jailed leader, who once dominated the Tamil Nadu politics as close aide of Jayalalithaa, has been relegated to the margins within the AIADMk after the two rival factions led by O Panneerselvam and Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami merged on Monday.

SC rejects Sasikala's petition to review order in disproportionate asstes case

The CBI has lodged an FIR against the director of Indian Institute of Technology-Goa, B K Mishra, for allegedly amassing Rs 1.14 crore.

The CBI claims Mishra who was the director at Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology-Bhubaneswar before joining IIT-Goa&nbsp;had amassed assets worth Rs 2.15 crore in four years - between 2006 and 2016.

The CBI said Rs 1.14 crore are assets acquired by Mishra which are disproportionate to his known source of his income during the same period.

Indian Institute of Technology is considered the temple of tech education in India, although this is not the first time IIT has been tainted in this manner. In 2013, the CBI had booked the then IIT-Patna director, A K Bhowmick in the&nbsp;coalnet scam.

In the FIR against BK Mishra, the CBI alleged &quot;...Dr B K Mishra has acquired assets (movable/immovable) to the tune of Rs 2.15 crore. Hence Dr Barada Kant Mishra is in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 1.14 crore to his known sources of income during the aforesaid check period and the acquisition of the same is not likely to be accounted for satisfactorily by him.&quot;

B K Mishra&nbsp;is expected to issue a statement soon.

&nbsp;

CBI claims Mishra?had amassed assets worth Rs 2.15 crore in four years when he was the director at Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology-Bhubaneswar

The CBI has lodged an FIR against the director of Indian Institute of Technology-Goa, B K Mishra, for allegedly amassing Rs 1.14 crore. The CBI claims Mishra who was the director at Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology-Bhubaneswar before joining IIT-Goa had amassed assets worth Rs 2.15 crore in four years - between 2006 and 2016. The CBI said Rs 1.14 crore are assets acquired by Mishra which are disproportionate to his known source of his income during the same period. Indian Institute of Technology is considered the temple of tech education in India, although this is not the first time IIT has been tainted in this manner. In 2013, the CBI had booked the then IIT-Patna director, A K Bhowmick in the coalnet scam. In the FIR against BK Mishra, the CBI alleged "...Dr B K Mishra has acquired assets (movable/immovable) to the tune of Rs 2.15 crore. Hence Dr Barada Kant Mishra is in possession of disproportionate assets to the tune of Rs 1.14 crore to his known sources of income during the aforesaid check period and the acquisition of the same is not likely to be accounted for satisfactorily by him." B K Mishra is expected to issue a statement soon.

CBI books IIT-Goa director B K Mishra in disproportionate assets case

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, today, granted bail to Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife and all the other accused in the disproportionate assets case.

Opposing his bail plea, the CBI counsel said, &quot;Singh cannot be spared as he is the king of the state and is involved in such corrupt practices.&quot;

CBI counsel further said that the Virbhadra&#39;s medical issues are common for an old aged man and should not be considered.

Earlier on May 22, Singh and the other accused in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case, moved the special CBI court for bail.

The Special CBI Court issued a notice to the CBI to reply on the bail plea of all the accused including Virbhadra and his wife Pratibha.

Earlier on May 8, Virbhadra and other accused were summoned by the court in regard to the same case.

Pratibha Singh withdrew her plea, which had alleged that the CBI hadn&#39;t obtained permission from the state government to procure documents used to prepare the chargesheet.

Pratibha&#39;s counsel had earlier on April 24 argued whether witnesses and documents that were collected during the investigation could be part of the chargesheet and if the court could read them for the purpose of taking cognizance.

The counsel also moved an application seeking consideration of these terms, while also requesting not to take cognizance of the chargesheet.

A day after being booked by the CBI special court, the Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against him and asserted that all charges levied against him were fabricated.

(ANI)

Opposing his bail plea, the CBI counsel said, 'Singh cannot be spared as he is the king of the state and is involved in such corrupt practices.'

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court, today, granted bail to Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife and all the other accused in the disproportionate assets case. Opposing his bail plea, the CBI counsel said, "Singh cannot be spared as he is the king of the state and is involved in such corrupt practices." CBI counsel further said that the Virbhadra's medical issues are common for an old aged man and should not be considered. Earlier on May 22, Singh and the other accused in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case, moved the special CBI court for bail. The Special CBI Court issued a notice to the CBI to reply on the bail plea of all the accused including Virbhadra and his wife Pratibha. Earlier on May 8, Virbhadra and other accused were summoned by the court in regard to the same case. Pratibha Singh withdrew her plea, which had alleged that the CBI hadn't obtained permission from the state government to procure documents used to prepare the chargesheet. Pratibha's counsel had earlier on April 24 argued whether witnesses and documents that were collected during the investigation could be part of the chargesheet and if the court could read them for the purpose of taking cognizance. The counsel also moved an application seeking consideration of these terms, while also requesting not to take cognizance of the chargesheet. A day after being booked by the CBI special court, the Chief Minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring against him and asserted that all charges levied against him were fabricated. (ANI)

CBI court grants bail to Virbhadra Singh and wife in disproportionate assets case

A Delhi Court has summoned Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh&nbsp;and other accused in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case.

Chief minister Virbhadra Singh&#39;s wife Pratibha Singh has also been summoned by the court.&nbsp;The Congress party&nbsp;chief minister has been accused by the CBI of amassing assets worth nearly Rs 10 crore.

The chief minister was quick to hit back blaming the BJP, calling it a &#39;political vendetta&#39; against him.

&quot;The fight has just begun and I know the truth will prevail. All cases against me are fabricated. This is a conspiracy against me stitched by some BJP leaders like Prem Kumar Dhumal and Anurag Thakur,&quot; Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh told ANI.

The other accused who have been summoned by the court are: Ram Prakash Bhatia, Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj,&nbsp;Joginder Singh Ghalta, Chunni Lal Chauhan and Vakamulla Chandrasekhar.

(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

Chief minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh has also been summoned by the court

A Delhi Court has summoned Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and other accused in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case. Chief minister Virbhadra Singh's wife Pratibha Singh has also been summoned by the court. The Congress party chief minister has been accused by the CBI of amassing assets worth nearly Rs 10 crore. The chief minister was quick to hit back blaming the BJP, calling it a 'political vendetta' against him. "The fight has just begun and I know the truth will prevail. All cases against me are fabricated. This is a conspiracy against me stitched by some BJP leaders like Prem Kumar Dhumal and Anurag Thakur," Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh told ANI. The other accused who have been summoned by the court are: Ram Prakash Bhatia, Lawan Kumar Roach, Prem Raj, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Chunni Lal Chauhan and Vakamulla Chandrasekhar. (WION)

Court summons Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh in Disproportionate Assets case

&nbsp;

On December 29, 2016 &ndash; weeks after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had passed away &ndash; the AIADMK&rsquo;s general council met and passed a resolution handing over the party&rsquo;s leadership responsibility to Jayalalithaa&rsquo;s close confidante V K Sasikala.&nbsp; &ldquo;The general council hands over the party leadership to Chinnamma Sasikala who was with Amma for the last 33 years and has experience in handling the party affairs. In this very important moment in the history of AIADMK, the general council resolves to be faithful to the leadership and give no room for conspiracies by evil forces&rdquo; the resolution read. &ldquo;In Chinnamma, we see our Amma and we would continue to work for the party under her leadership, just as we did under Amma&rsquo;s leadership&rdquo; it further said.

&nbsp;

In less than three months, the state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy &ndash; incidentally handpicked by Sasikala herself before she went to the Parappana Agraha jail after her conviction in Disproportionate Assets case &ndash; has decided to oust her nephew TTV Dinakaran and his family &ndash; from the party and government affairs. &ldquo;It is in keeping with the wishes of Amma that we have decided not to encourage centralisation of power in the hands of one family&rdquo;, state ministers say.

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<h5>The story of the rise and fall of Sasikala&rsquo;s family over three decades is perhaps a lesson in the quintessential ruthlessness of politics.</h5>
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The story of the rise and fall of Sasikala&rsquo;s family over three decades is perhaps a lesson in the quintessential ruthlessness of politics.&nbsp; From being an extra-constitutional authority in the country&rsquo;s third largest party for about three decades to being reduced to its expelled members, Sasikala&rsquo;s and her family&rsquo;s story &ndash; is a potboiler of devotion inspired by fear and loyalty inspired by power. Appointed as deputy general secretary by his aunt Sasikala to fill in for her absence, Dinakaran was perhaps not hoping for a political journey without any glitches but he was certainly not expecting a coup d&#39;&eacute;tat from his own party men, most of whom had remained his hardcore loyalists till recently.

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For the handful of office-bearers, who still remain loyal to Dinakaran &ndash; the BJP, indisputably, has a role in all the commotion happening in the party. Many opine that BJP is trying to gain a foothold in the state by weakening the AIADMK and bringing it under its tacit control. But whether the BJP will be able to gain anything long term out of this confusion in the AIADMK remains a million dollar question.

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With its strong Dravidian roots, Tamil Nadu has essentially remained a state where the BJP is still struggling hard to make inroads. Despite its clout elsewhere, the BJP could manage to win a few seats only in alliance with either of the Dravidian majors. As recently as last year, the BJP could not win a single seat when it faced the Assembly elections almost alone. Even when a Modi wave swept across the country in 2014 Parliamentary elections, Tamil Nadu coldly remained untouched by it &ndash; winning just one seat in alliance with parties like the DMDK, PMK and MDMK.

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<h5>Over the next four years, the BJP might be able to manipulate the ruling AIADMK government to suit its interests in the state.</h5>
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The BJP perhaps hopes to break this jinx. There perhaps couldn&rsquo;t be a more opportune moment to strengthen itself in the state than now. After all, AIADMK known for its military discipline until Jayalalithaa was around is in tatters. There would be no single leader to ride herd on the AIADMK, strange as it might sound, for a party never known to step out of line. The leaders have come up with the suggestion of forming a committee to guide the party and government in future, but whether it is feasible in the long run for a party used to monolithic leadership since its inception is anybody&rsquo;s guess.

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Also, Dinakaran&rsquo;s exit from the party wouldn&rsquo;t mean an end to its problems. In fact, without a single leadership in place, more troubles might be brewing for the party. That includes possible power struggles between two factions after the merger. It is precisely this scenario that BJP perhaps hopes to take advantage of.

&nbsp;

But observers say the BJP&nbsp;can just about manage to use this confusion to their favor in the upcoming presidential elections and Rajya Sabha elections. Over the next four years, the BJP might be able to manipulate the ruling AIADMK government to suit its interests in the state. It may be recalled that the state government had towed the Centre&rsquo;s line on many issues that the former chief minister had vehemently opposed when she was alive. This may well continue and more so over the next four years, with the BJP&rsquo;s attempts to lord it over the now weakened AIADMK.

&nbsp;

But whether this would be converted into public support and votes, in the long run, is anybody&rsquo;s guess. For now, in the eyes of a common man, Dinakaran has gained an edge, however small, by deciding to exit instead of toppling the government as was expected. The social media that went gaga over O Paneerselvam&rsquo;s protest now is now using its other edge of the sword and accusing him of being BJP&rsquo;s minion. Clearly, Paneerselvam does not enjoy the same public support that he had enjoyed in the immediate aftermath of his revolt against Sasikala early February.

&nbsp;

With the kind of money and muscle power they are said to have, Dinakaran and Sasikala, will be hoping that after all the Sturm und Drang, the party will come back to them. Perhaps an unexpected denouement to this long drawn political drama might eventually unfold itself, yet again in Poes Garden. &nbsp;

Arguably, BJP is trying to gain a foothold in the state by weakening the AIADMK and bringing it under its tacit control.

On December 29, 2016 – weeks after former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had passed away – the AIADMK’s general council met and passed a resolution handing over the party’s leadership responsibility to Jayalalithaa’s close confidante V K Sasikala. “The general council hands over the party leadership to Chinnamma Sasikala who was with Amma for the last 33 years and has experience in handling the party affairs. In this very important moment in the history of AIADMK, the general council resolves to be faithful to the leadership and give no room for conspiracies by evil forces” the resolution read. “In Chinnamma, we see our Amma and we would continue to work for the party under her leadership, just as we did under Amma’s leadership” it further said. In less than three months, the state cabinet headed by Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy – incidentally handpicked by Sasikala herself before she went to the Parappana Agraha jail after her conviction in Disproportionate Assets case – has decided to oust her nephew TTV Dinakaran and his family – from the party and government affairs. “It is in keeping with the wishes of Amma that we have decided not to encourage centralisation of power in the hands of one family”, state ministers say. The story of the rise and fall of Sasikala’s family over three decades is perhaps a lesson in the quintessential ruthlessness of politics. × The story of the rise and fall of Sasikala’s family over three decades is perhaps a lesson in the quintessential ruthlessness of politics. From being an extra-constitutional authority in the country’s third largest party for about three decades to being reduced to its expelled members, Sasikala’s and her family’s story – is a potboiler of devotion inspired by fear and loyalty inspired by power. Appointed as deputy general secretary by his aunt Sasikala to fill in for her absence, Dinakaran was perhaps not hoping for a political journey without any glitches but he was certainly not expecting a coup d'état from his own party men, most of whom had remained his hardcore loyalists till recently. For the handful of office-bearers, who still remain loyal to Dinakaran – the BJP, indisputably, has a role in all the commotion happening in the party. Many opine that BJP is trying to gain a foothold in the state by weakening the AIADMK and bringing it under its tacit control. But whether the BJP will be able to gain anything long term out of this confusion in the AIADMK remains a million dollar question. With its strong Dravidian roots, Tamil Nadu has essentially remained a state where the BJP is still struggling hard to make inroads. Despite its clout elsewhere, the BJP could manage to win a few seats only in alliance with either of the Dravidian majors. As recently as last year, the BJP could not win a single seat when it faced the Assembly elections almost alone. Even when a Modi wave swept across the country in 2014 Parliamentary elections, Tamil Nadu coldly remained untouched by it – winning just one seat in alliance with parties like the DMDK, PMK and MDMK. Over the next four years, the BJP might be able to manipulate the ruling AIADMK government to suit its interests in the state. × The BJP perhaps hopes to break this jinx. There perhaps couldn’t be a more opportune moment to strengthen itself in the state than now. After all, AIADMK known for its military discipline until Jayalalithaa was around is in tatters. There would be no single leader to ride herd on the AIADMK, strange as it might sound, for a party never known to step out of line. The leaders have come up with the suggestion of forming a committee to guide the party and government in future, but whether it is feasible in the long run for a party used to monolithic leadership since its inception is anybody’s guess. Also, Dinakaran’s exit from the party wouldn’t mean an end to its problems. In fact, without a single leadership in place, more troubles might be brewing for the party. That includes possible power struggles between two factions after the merger. It is precisely this scenario that BJP perhaps hopes to take advantage of. But observers say the BJP can just about manage to use this confusion to their favor in the upcoming presidential elections and Rajya Sabha elections. Over the next four years, the BJP might be able to manipulate the ruling AIADMK government to suit its interests in the state. It may be recalled that the state government had towed the Centre’s line on many issues that the former chief minister had vehemently opposed when she was alive. This may well continue and more so over the next four years, with the BJP’s attempts to lord it over the now weakened AIADMK. But whether this would be converted into public support and votes, in the long run, is anybody’s guess. For now, in the eyes of a common man, Dinakaran has gained an edge, however small, by deciding to exit instead of toppling the government as was expected. The social media that went gaga over O Paneerselvam’s protest now is now using its other edge of the sword and accusing him of being BJP’s minion. Clearly, Paneerselvam does not enjoy the same public support that he had enjoyed in the immediate aftermath of his revolt against Sasikala early February. With the kind of money and muscle power they are said to have, Dinakaran and Sasikala, will be hoping that after all the Sturm und Drang, the party will come back to them. Perhaps an unexpected denouement to this long drawn political drama might eventually unfold itself, yet again in Poes Garden.

Is this really the BJP?s moment in Tamil Nadu?

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet against Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case.

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Virbhadra Singh DA case: CBI files chargesheets in CBI court. Name of Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, his wife and others mentioned. <a href="https://t.co/euwYMtTARO">pic.twitter.com/euwYMtTARO</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/847746284916060163">March 31, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The chargesheet also contains the name of Singh&#39;s wife Pratibha along with others, bringing the total up to nine. Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhra and Ram Prakash Bhatia have been named in the chargesheet.

The fresh blow to the chief minister comes after the Delhi High Court dismissed his plea challenging the FIR filed by the CBI in the Disproportionate Assets case. The CBI had registered an FIR for an&nbsp;alleged property of Rs 6&nbsp;crore amassed between 2009-12 during Virbhadra&#39;s tenure as the union steel minister.

The chief minister had earlier dubbed the CBI action as &quot;politically motivated&quot;.

Virbhadra and his family members are also facing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on same charges.

The CBI had registered a case earlier in 2015. Virbhadra had initially filed a plea in the Himachal Pradesh High Court for quashing the FIR registered against him.The matter was later transferred to the Delhi High Court by the Supreme Court.

&nbsp;(ANI)&nbsp;

The CBI had registered an FIR for an?alleged property of Rs 6?crore amassed between 2009-12 during his tenure as the union steel minister

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday filed a chargesheet against Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh in the Disproportionate Assets (DA) case. Virbhadra Singh DA case: CBI files chargesheets in CBI court. Name of Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, his wife and others mentioned. pic.twitter.com/euwYMtTARO — ANI (@ANI_news) March 31, 2017 × The chargesheet also contains the name of Singh's wife Pratibha along with others, bringing the total up to nine. Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, Joginder Singh Ghalta, Prem Raj, Lawan Kumar Roach, Vakamullah Chandrashekhra and Ram Prakash Bhatia have been named in the chargesheet. The fresh blow to the chief minister comes after the Delhi High Court dismissed his plea challenging the FIR filed by the CBI in the Disproportionate Assets case. The CBI had registered an FIR for an alleged property of Rs 6 crore amassed between 2009-12 during Virbhadra's tenure as the union steel minister. The chief minister had earlier dubbed the CBI action as "politically motivated". Virbhadra and his family members are also facing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on same charges. The CBI had registered a case earlier in 2015. Virbhadra had initially filed a plea in the Himachal Pradesh High Court for quashing the FIR registered against him.The matter was later transferred to the Delhi High Court by the Supreme Court. (ANI)

India: CBI files chargesheet against Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh, his wife and others in DA case

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