In a setback to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea by him and others seeking quashing of a money laundering case registered against them by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had filed a criminal case under the PMLA against Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha, Life Insurance Corporation agent Anand Chauhan, his associate Chunni Lal, and others in 2015 following the CBI's FIR dated September 23, that year.

The case was registered after a preliminary inquiry found that Singh as Union Minister from 2009 to 2012 allegedly accumulated assets worth Rs 6.03 crore, which were disproportionate to his known sources of income.  

After his Delhi farmhouse was attached, the Chief Minister accused the Centre of harassing him and destabilising his government.

He alleged that central agencies like the ED and CBI were being misused against political opponents by the Centre.