Virbhadra Singh faces charges of misusing his official position and criminal misconduct in 1989.

A court in Shimla on Monday framed corruption charges against Union Minister and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh.

Special Judge B.L. Soni pronounced the order in the court.

The prosecution had filed the chargesheet against the couple in October 2010.

According to the police, the couple was booked on August 3, 2009 on the basis of an audio cassette released by Virbhadra Singh's political adversary Vijai Singh Mankotia in 2007.

The former chief minister faces charges of misusing his official position and criminal misconduct in 1989.

Virbhadra Singh, who was chief minister of Himachal Pradesh in 2003-2007, and his wife Pratibha Singh were booked on corruption charges in June 2009 and the FIR was based on the CD released by Mankotia in 2007.

The controversial CD has the recording of a conversation between Virbhadra Singh, his wife and Mohinder Lal, an IAS officer (who died sometime ago), relating to some financial transactions involving industrialists proposing to invest in the cement industry.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court had also dismissed his petition seeking the dismissal of the FIR against him and allowed the state vigilance and anti-corruption bureau to prosecute him in the controversial CD case.

Virbhadra Singh recently completed 50 years in politics this year. During this long innings, he has been the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh five times.

Virbhadra Singh entered the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1962 from Mahasu constituency when Himachal Pradesh was part of Punjab. It became a separate state in 1971.

Singh, who represents Mandi seat in the Lok Sabha, has been elected to Parliament six times.

-- With inputs from IANS

