HC notice to ED on Virbhadra’s plea against any coercive action

New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a plea filed by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh seeking a restraint order against the agency taking any coercive action against him, in wake of the arrest of an LIC agent in connection with a money laundering case.

Justice Vipin Sanghi sought response from ED by July 29.

In the application moved before the court, Virbhadra Singh, apprehending his arrest, 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 recently 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 Singh's name and those of his family members, including wife Pratibha Singh.

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.