FIR in DA case premature: Virbhadra Singh to HC

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, an accused in a disproportionate assets case along with others, on Tuesday claimed in Delhi High Court that CBI’s FIR against him was “premature” as it was based on the proceedings of Income Tax department, which was still pending.

Singh’s counsel told Justice Vipin Sanghi that CBI had lodged a preliminiary enquiry (PE) in October 2012 which was later closed, but the agency registered a second PE on June 17 last year based on the same facts which were already investigated by it.

“When the first PE was closed, where was the necessity of reopening it again in the second PE on the same set of facts which were inquired into by the CBI in the first PE which was closed,” senior advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for the Congress leader, said.

“The very foundation (proceedings of IT department) on which this second PE and FIR was based is still going on. This FIR is premature,” he said during arguments which would continue on Wednesday.

Singh had earlier claimed in court that the way in which probe was conducted showed an “element of enthusiasm” on CBI’s part indicating an element of “malafide”.