LIC agent who laundered Virbhadra funds held

In the first arrest in connection with its money-laundering case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday took into custody an LIC agent Anand Chauhan. Chauhan was arrested from Chandigarh under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, as he was allegedly not cooperating with the investigating officer of the case, officials said. "Chauhan will be produced in a competent court. As he is not cooperating, his custodial interrogation is necessary," they said. The LIC agent is a crucial entity in this case as both the ED and the CBI have earlier found that Chauhan was the one who allegedly insured the said tainted funds of the Chief Minister in life insurance policies. The ED had questioned him multiple times in this case earlier. The agency also attached assets worth about Rs 8 crore against the chief minister earlier this year. The agency has filed a case under criminal provisions of money laundering laws after taking cognizance of a complaint filed by the CBI in this regard in September last year.