VB arrests Punjab ex-minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in transport scam

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 22

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday arrested former Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in an alleged scam involving transportation of foodgrain during the previous Congress regime.

The development came hours after Ashu held a protest outside the VB headquarters in Mohali, claiming innocence and daring the authorities to arrest him. Ashu (49) was arrested from a salon here after he returned from Mohali, a senior Vigilance official told The Tribune. He is the second former Congress minister to be arrested in the five months of the AAP government. “A probe is underway. More officials of the Food and Civil Supplies Department are under the scanner,” an official said. On August 16, an FIR under Sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120 B of the IPC and Sections 7, 8, 12, 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was lodged against Telu Ram, Jagroop Singh and Sandeep Bhatia, proprietors of Gurdas Ram and Company, and some government officials. The case involves issuance of tenders for transport of foodgrain for 2020-21. The lists of vehicles submitted by the contractors carried registration numbers of bikes and cars.

The matter was not verified by the officials concerned and payments were made to the firm, which pointed out their connivance, the official said.

Ashu’s “close aides” Meenu Pankaj Malhotra and Rakesh Kumar Singla, Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, were also nominated in the case. Singla was dismissed from the service.

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