Virbhadra Singh case: LIC agent’s custody extended till Sept 7

New Delhi, Sep 3 (PTI) The judicial custody of LIC agentAnand Chauhan, arrested in a money laundering case againstHimachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, was todayextended by four days by a special court here. The court extended Chauhan’s custody till September 7after Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing thematter, submitted that the case was still being probed and hiscustody should be extended. The court had on August 20 dismissed Chauhan’s bail pleain the case. Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh on July 9 under theprovisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as hewas allegedly not cooperating with the ongoing investigation. ED had claimed in the court that during Chauhan’sinterrogation, it was revealed that as an LIC agent, he hadentered into a modus operandi to launder disproportionateassets by investing in LIC policies. The agency had submitted that Singh "while serving as aUnion minister, had invested huge amounts in purchasing LICpolicies in his own name and that of his family membersthrough Chauhan". "Virbhadra Singh, while functioning as a Union ministerduring the period from May 28, 2009, to June 26, 2012,acquired assets, disproportionate to his known sources ofincome to the tune of Rs 6,03,70,782 and further tried tojustify the same in the form of agricultural income. "Pratibha Singh, wife of Virbhadra Singh, Chauhan, withwhom Virbhadra Singh had signed the alleged MoU for managinghis apple orchard and Chunni Lal Chauhan, proprietor of M/sUniversal Apple Associates, who purportedly showed purchase ofapples from Shrikhand Orchard, have facilitated in justifyingthe disproportionate assets of Virbhadra Singh and therebyabetted the offence," the ED had alleged. PTI UKARC