Bhagyawati issue back to haunt Himachal Cong

According to highly places sources,Bhagyawati has shot off a letter to the state’s Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau,seeking probe into the allegations levelled by her against senior Congress leader and Union Minister for Steel Virbhadra Singh around 25 years ago. Supported by former Congress leader Major Vijai Singh Mankotia (Retd),Bhagyawati had levelled certain allegations of a personal nature against Virbhadra. The Union minister had even gone to court,filing a defamation case against Mankotia,which was later withdrawn after the two leaders reached a compromise.

Attached with Bhagyawati’s letter are a set of supporting documents,a few court judgments and newspaper clippings about the case.

Senior officials in the vigilance are tightlipped about the letter,apparently to avoid fresh controversies after Virbhadra having already slapped a defamation notice on Director General of Police (Vigilance)

D S Manhas,who is purportedly caught in a conversation with Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in one of the controversial audio CDs released by an anonymous person.

The Congress is all set to make a complaint to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram against Manhas’ role in the corruption FIR filed against Virbhadra last year.

The letter,which Bhagyawati has sent from Hyderabad where she claims to be currently residing,also has copies marked to Mankotia.

Sources in the vigilance bureau said the complaint had been forwarded to the state’s home department,headed by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,to decide if it required the intervention of any state investigating agency.