However, Virbhadra Singh, who is now leader of the Opposition, has already refuted the charges and accused the BJP-HVC combine of black mail and character assassination. He maintains that the lok sayukta and apex court had already gone into most of the charges and exonerated him.

Dhumal, currently on the campaign trail, is understood to have issued directions to some of his `confidants' to prepare a list of the charges, which could be referred to the CBI for investigations. The charges, being picked up for CBI probe, include those which the former communication minister and HVC president Sukh Ram have listed in his charge-sheets against his arch-political rival, Virbhadra Singh.

Ever since Sukh Ram had resigned from the BJP government following presidential sanctions against him, he has been demanding a CBI probe into controversial land deals, assets and benefits which Virbhadra Singh had allegedly extended to a few industrial groups and certain government servants.

The charge-sheet, which was examined by a team of senior officials at the highest-level, mainly lists violations allegedly committed by Virbhadra Singh in transfer of property (mainly land) and possession of property beyond the land ceiling limits. But, the state government proposes to also refer the issue of payment of commission to a private firm in raising loans for the government, `on-line' lottery deal and parting gift to an industrial group in allotment of quota of khair wood. The Chief Minister claims that documentary evidence is available on the dubious deals.

Even former chief minister Shanta Kumar, who is also party MP, has demanded a probe into payment of commission in the borrowings for the government wile BJP state president Suresh Chandel has also supported the demand for a probe.