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Pratibha Singh Age, Husband, Children, Family, Biography & More

Pratibha Singh

Bio/Wiki
Full namePratibha Virbhadra Singh [1]Pratibha Virbhadra Singh - Instagram
Other nameMaharani [2]India TV
ProfessionPolitician
Known forBeing the Wife of Virbhadra Singh
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 158 cm
in meters- 1.58 m
in feet & inches- 5’2”
Eye ColourDark Brown
Hair ColourSalt & Pepper
Politics
Political PartyIndian National Congress
INC Logo
Political Journey• Contested and won the general elections from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh (2004)
• Contested and won the Bye-Election in the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency (2013)
• Contested and lost the general elections from the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency in Himachal Pradesh (2014)
• Contested and won the Bye-Election in the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency (2021)
• Appointed as President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (2022)
Personal Life
Date of Birth16 June 1956 (Saturday)
Age (as in 2023)67 Years
BirthplaceJunga, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
Zodiac sign/Sun signGemini
SignaturePratibha Singh's Signature
NationalityIndian
HometownJunga, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India
SchoolLoreto Convent Tara Hall, Shimla
CollegeGovernment College for Women, Chandigarh
Educational QualificationBachelor of Arts [3]My Neta
ReligionHinduism
Pratibha Singh during her visit to a temple
CasteRajput [4]Wikipedia
AddressHolly Lodge, Jakhu, Shimla - 171001 (Himachal Pradesh)
HobbiesReading, gardening, and doing social work
Controversies• Booked under corruption charges
On 3 August 2009, a case was filed against Virbhadra Singh, and his wife, Pratibha Singh, based on an audio tape, which was recorded back in 1989 when Virbhadra Singh served as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh. In 2007, the audio tape was released by Virbhadra’s rival, Vijai Singh Mankotia, an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress, who accused Virbhadra and his wife’s involvement in some illegal monetary transactions. The tape had a conversation recorded between Virbhadra, his wife Pratibha, and Mohinder Lal (deceased), a former IAS officer, regarding illegal financial transactions of investment in some cement industry in Himachal Pradesh. They were charged under section 120 B (conspiracy) of the IPC and sections 7, 11, and 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) dealing with bribery and criminal misconduct. On 24 December 2012, Virbhadra and Pratibha were acquitted of all the charges by a trial court in Shimla after the prime witness refused his statements against them. [5]India Today

• FIR filed for allegedly accumulating disproportionate assets
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case on 23 September 2015 against the former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Virbhadra Singh for allegedly accumulating disproportionate assets worth Rs 10 crores when he served as the Union Minister in the UPA government from 2009-2012. The charge sheet framed by the CBI accused his wife Pratibha Singh, his son Vikramaditya Singh, and his daughter Aparajita Singh of allegedly encouraging the crime and misappropriating the funds. Virbhadra and his family members were levied with the charges of cheating and forgery as they invested the illegal funds in LIC policies with the help of an agent and tried to evade tax by showing the funds as an agricultural income obtained from the sale proceeds of apples. They were charged under sections 109 (abetment) and 465 (punishment for forgery) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA). [6]The Economic Times

• Criticized for passing controversial statement on Gudiya rape case
In June 2022, while her visit to Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti for a public meeting, Pratibha Singh garnered controversy when she remarked about the Gudiya rape case and addressed it as “Choti Si Vardat" (minor accident). The Gudiya Rape case aka Kotkhai rape and murder case involved the brutal rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl from Shimla by the accused Charani Nilu. While addressing the people during the meeting in Keylong, Pratibha said,
Hamari sarkar mein ek chhoti si vardat huyi thi. Ek gaon mein ladki ke Saath durvyavahar hua tha... bachi thi school ki....to BJP ke logon ne itna uska halla machaya... police ka daftar jala diya... ye kaha ki iski investigation honi chahiye. Us samay Raja Sahab mukhyamantri the, unhone turant aadesh diye aur dusre din hi CBI uski jaanch partal karne ke liye aayi...itna inhone iska rona roya... jab tak sarkar me badlav nahi aaya tab tak is baat ko bhunate rahe... halanki aisa kuchh bhi nahi tha... log jante the is baat ko." [7]The Times of India
After her video went viral all over the internet, Pratibha received sheer criticism for allegedly disrespecting women in general. On 1 July 2022, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Mahila Morcha staged a dharna against her at Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, and demanded an apology for her statement for hurting the sentiments of public and Gudiya’s family.

• Accusations of domestic exploitation
On 17 October 2022, a case was filed under section 12 of the Domestic Violence Act by Sudarshana Chundawat at the Udaipur court against her husband Vikramaditya Singh, mother-in-law Pratibha Singh, sister-in-law Aparajita Singh, brother-in-law Angad Singh, and Amreen, a resident of Chandigarh for allegedly exploiting her mentally, emotionally, and financially. In her complaint, Sudarshana alleged that her husband installed CCTV cameras in her room to monitor her and had an extramarital affair with Amreen, a 38-year-old resident of Chandigarh. She revealed that Vikramaditya wanted to marry Amreen at first, but his father, Virbhadra Singh, threatened to disown him if he went against his decision of marrying Amreen. When Sudarshana confronted Vikramaditya about his affair, he threatened her and pressurized her to divorce. Sudarsha accused Vikramaditya and Pratibha of demanding a dowry of Rs 10 crore from her parents while their visit to her hometown, Udaipur, in April 2021. As per some media sources, after Sudarshana filed the case, a non-bailable warrant was issued against Vikramaditya and his mother, Pratibha Singh by the Udaipur court in December 2022, but Vikramaditya denied getting any kind of warrant and said,
There was no order passed by the court regarding issuance of non-bailable warrants. Rather, we have accepted the notices. We are not evading the law. There has been no default on our part, so there is no question of issuing warrants against us.” [8]The Indian Express
Relationships & More
Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date28 November 1985
Family
Husband/SpouseVirbhadra Singh (Politician)
Pratibha Singh with Virbhadra Singh and her Son
ChildrenSon- Vikramaditya Singh (Politician)
Pratibha Singh's Son
Daughter- Aparajita Singh
Pratibha Singh's Daughter
ParentsFather- Late Hitendra Sen
Mother- Late Shanta Devi
Other RelativeFather-in-law- Raja Padam Singh (121st titular Maharaja of Bushahr)
Picture of Pratibha Singh's father-in-law, Raja Padam Singh
Mother-in-law- Rani Shanti Devi
Son-in-law- Angad Singh (Aparajita's husband; grandson of Captain Amarinder Singh)
Pratibha Singh's son-in-law, Angad Singh (left) , and her son, Vikramaditya Singh (right)
Step-daughter(s)- 4 (from Virbhadra Singh's first wife, Ratna Kumari)
• Jyotsna Kumari
• Anuradha Kumari (deceased)
• Abhilasha Kumari (judge)
• Meenakshi Kumari
Money Factor
Assets/PropertiesMovable Assets
• Cash: Rs 25,000
• Deposits in Banks, Financial Institutions and Non-Banking Financial Companies: Rs 2,60,38,068
• Bonds, Debentures and Shares in companies: Rs 2,11,000
• LIC or other insurance Policies: Rs 3,29,87,000
• Jewellery: Rs 4700000

Immovable Assets:
• Non-Agricultural Land: Rs 85,00,000

Note: The given estimates of movable and immovable assets are according to 2014. It excludes the assets owned by her husband and dependents (minor). [9]My Neta
Net Worth (approx.)As of 2014, Pratibha's net worth is estimated to be Rs 7,24,61,068.

Note: It excludes her husband's and dependents' net worth (minors). [10]My Neta

Pratibha Singh

Some Lesser Known Facts About Pratibha Singh

  • Pratibha Singh is an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress (INC). She is the second wife of  Virbhadra Singh who held the post of Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister six times. Pratibha was appointed as the President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on 26 April 2022. Pratibha made headlines in December 2022 when a case was registered against her by her daughter-in-law, Sudarshana Chundawat, for allegedly harassing her physically, mentally, and financially.
  • Pratibha Singh belongs to the royal Rajput family in Keonthal, Himachal Pradesh. [11]Hindustan Times
  • After getting married to Virbhadra Singh, she entered politics and joined the Indian National Congress (INC).
  • Pratibha’s party supporters and local people of her town fondly address her “Maharani” because her husband Virbhadra Singh belonged to the royal Rajput family of the erstwhile princely state of Bushahr, and he became the 122nd titular Maharaja of Bushahr, at the age of 13, after the demise of his father Raja Padam Singh in 1947.
  • Pratibha served as the vice-chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh State Red Cross Society from 1985 to 1990, 1994 to 1998, and in the year 2003.
  • Pratibha actively supported several sports promotional events, especially in rural areas.

    Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh during an event

    Virbhadra Singh and Pratibha Singh during an event

  • Pratibha actively participates in various social causes for the upliftment of the weaker sections of society. She is associated with several organizations, which work for the betterment of orphan children and destitute women.
  • Pratibha served as a member of the State Women Empowerment Board since 2003; the State Planning Board since 2003; and the Central Advisory Education Board since 2004.
  • On 8 December 2022, the results of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections were announced in which the Congress party secured victory and bagged 40 seats out of 68. The party named a few potential candidates for the post of Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh like Pratibha Singh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Mukesh Agnihotri. On 10 December 2022, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was officially announced as Himachal Pradesh’s 15th Chief Minister by Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. Pratibha, while addressing the media, accepted the decision and said,

    We accept the decision taken by Congress high command.” [12]Hindustan Times

References/Sources:[+]