HimVani
Shimla (Apr 30): The court of special judge BL Soni today asked Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Virbhadra Singh to submit reply over persecution application against him seeking cancellation of bail in the CD case on the ground of influencing witnesses.
Earlier, the prosecution handed over copy of application in which it has demanded cancellation of Union Minister’s bail granted by the same court . The judge fixed next date for hearing on May 28, 2011. The court also granted exemption to the Union minister for his personal appearance till further orders.
Special prosecution of State Vigilance Anti-corruption Bureau Jiwan Lal Sharma said the case was listed for hearing for today after they has submitted to cancel Union minister’s bail on April 7, 2011, as they had “sufficient evidence” to prove that
he was trying to win over and influence the witnesses.
The Union Minister and his wife were granted bail by the court on December 16 last year. Singh, who has been Chief Minister five times earlier, is accused of misusing his official position when he was Chief Minister in 1989. The couple was booked on August 3, 2009, on the basis of an audio CD released by his political adversary Vijai Singh Mankotia in 2007.
Mr Singh was purportedly heard referring to some monetary transactions while talking on the phone to IAS officer Mahinder Lal, who is now deceased. It also contained the voices of Pratibha Singh and some industrialists. One of the prime witnesses in the CD case moved the Himachal Pradesh High Court on April 4 that his statement recorded by the prosecution was false and forged.
On the petition of witness Kapil Mohan, managing director of Mohan Meakins Ltd brewery, the high court issued notice to the state. Another witness in the case, Prem Chand Jain, has already filed a petition in the high court that his statements recorded by the prosecution were false.
