Himachal High Court today reserved judgement on the petitions of the Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his family members challenging transfer of cases relating to investigations into their income tax returns to Chandigarh.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders after hearing arguments of both the parties.
Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh and daughter Aparajita Kumari, Anand Chauhan (caretaker of Singh's orchards) and Chunni Lal Chauhan (proprietor of M/s Universal Apples) had challenged the orders of the Income Tax Commissioner to transfer their cases on the ground of conducting coordinated and joint investigation in all cases.
The petitioners maintained that the coordinated and joint investigation of all cases can be done in Shimla also and there was no need to transfer the cases to Chandigarh as this will only result in harassment to them.
The High Court had earlier dismissed the preliminary objections of the Income Tax department against the petitions of Virbhadra Singh.
