Virbhadra moves HC seeking restraint on any coercive ED action

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Friday moved the Delhi High Court seeking a retrain order on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) from taking any coercive action against him, in wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in connection with a money laundering case.

Justice A.K. Pathak recused himself from hearing the plea of Singh and posted the matter before another bench for July 19.

In the application moved before the court, Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh said the ED should be restrained from "taking any coercive action" against him in wake of arrest of Anand Chauhan, a co-accused in the case.

The ED arrested Chauhan last week from Chandigarh under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

This is the first arrest by the ED in the money laundering case against the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister.

The LIC agent is a crucial entity in this case as both the ED and the CBI have accused Chauhan of investing Virbhadra's "tainted" money of Rs 5 crore in Life Insurance Corporation policies in Virbhadra's name and those of his family members, including wife.

The ED reportedly found that Virbhadra Singh had accumulated assets worth Rs 6.03 crore in his name and in the name of his family members, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income, during his tenure as the Union Steel Minister from 2009 to 2011.