Now vigilance wants CBI to probe PK Dhumal’s family assets

Additional DGP (Vigilance) Prithvi Raj admitted that the bureau has submitted a report to the government suggesting a CBI probe as some of the properties, which belonged to the family, are outside the state including Punjab. The vigilance, thus, have no jurisdiction to probe all those assets.

“It’s a private complaint filed by a Dharamshala lawyer,who earlier had also approached a local court to seek registration of criminal case against Anurag Thakur, HPCA president and former CM into HPCA affairs. Even the congress charge-sheet against the previous BJP government has reference to few land purchases and assets .It’s upto the government to take a decision in the matter,“ he informed.

Dhumal when contacted brushed aside the charges. He alleged that the lawyer who had filed the complaint was merely made to sign the papers. There are certain people close to Chief Minister and few government servants behind the so-called complaint.

He recalled that a retired IPS officer (late) B S Thind, who was himself facing a CBI inquiries, had also filed affidavit and a complaint before state Lokayukta. “The list of the properties he (Thind) annexed are same which I have given in my IT returns and affidavits filed the Election Commission of India –when I contested Lok Sabha polls in 2007 or assembly polls. The Lokayukta ‘s report giving me a clean chit, is part of the state assembly records,” he said.

Dhumal also says former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh had also levelled allegations of disproportionate assets against me in 2003 polls. “I filed a defamation case. Only few months back, he( Amarinder Singh) appeared in the court and tendered an apology. I have withdrawn the case only after it.I wonder if anything new in the matter, which has more political considerations than any merit for probe,” said Dhumal.

But Vinay Sharma rejected the charge that he was acting at someone’s behest. “I have done a lot of ground work and used RTI as a tool to get details of the properties .These are 31 in number,a big number. I am happy the government has decided to act on it and refer the matter to the CBI. Let there be an inquiry by an outside agency and truth come out,” he said.

The report submitted to the government lists details of the properties which Dhumal family owned in Himachal Pradesh at village Samirpur (Hamirpur) and elsewhere in Kangra and Kullu districts. The complaint also mentioned some properties at Jallandhar, Delhi and Mumbai.