NEW DELHI: As part of its probe into money laundering charges against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and others, the Enforcement Directorate issued an order to attach Singh’s assets worth Rs 7.93 crore on Wednesday.
The agency has issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and seized a clutch of LIC policies, bank fixed deposits and a two-storey building in Delhi’s posh Greater Kailash-I locality.
The agency said that these assets were considered the “proceeds of crime” and were created using ill-gotten funds. The agency also issued prohibitory orders on these assets, which are “valued at Rs 7.93 crore.” “An attachment order is aimed at preventing the accused from obtaining benefits of their alleged ill-gotten wealth. The accused parties can appeal against the order before the adjudicating authority of the Act within 180 days,” said a senior ED officer. After coming to know about the attachment order, Singh said that the ED move to attach his properties was a “Holi gift” and that it was a “dirty political conspiracy of the BJP.”
“It is one more dirty political conspiracy by the BJP. Like the ED raid on the day of my daughter’s marriage, this is a gift on the occasion of Holi,” Singh tweeted. He further stated that he would continue to fight such ‘politically motivated’ battles. “I have full faith in the judiciary of the country. Satyamev Jayate,” he tweeted.
The Delhi High Court had refused to grant an interim stay on money-laundering proceedings initiated by the agency against the Chief Minister. Justice Pratibha Rani had issued a notice to the agency seeking its response before May 31 on Singh’s plea seeking a stay on the proceedings and the quashing of the money-laundering case against him.