Foodgrains Transportation scam: Court extends 2-day police remand of former Punjab Minister

A Court in Punjab has extended the remand of former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for two more days on Saturday.

The vigilance bureau arrested the former minister on Monday in the transaction tender scam case and he was sent to a four-day remand on Tuesday.

He was produced before the Court after he completed his 4-day remand with the police.

Advocate Paropkar Singh Ghumman informed that the vigilance had initially sought his seven-day remand, however it got extended for two days following the argument in the Court.

The case pertains to the allotment of transportation tenders allegedly on the basis of fake registration numbers of vehicles. Meanwhile, Congress workers also protested outside the Vigilance Bureau office in Ludhiana over his arrest.

A spokesperson of the State Vigilance Bureau (VB) said on Monday that the Bureau, after verification of a complaint made by complainant Gurprit Singh, has already registered FIR No. 11 Dated August 16, 2022, under sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC and 7, 8, 12, 13(2) Preventions of Corruption Act at Vigilance Bureau police station Ludhiana in which contractors namely Telu Ram, Jagroop Singh and Sandeep Bhatia besides owner/partners of Gurdas Ram and Company has been booked.

He claimed that accused Telu Ram has already been arrested in this and is on police remand.

During the investigation by the Vigilance Bureau, accused Telu Ram submitted that he met Bharat Bhushan Ashu through his PA Meenu Malhotra for getting tenders for the season 2020-21 who further told him to meet Rakesh Kumar Singla, Deputy Director Food and Civil Supplies. Singla was in charge of all of Punjab being chairman of the departmental chief vigilance committee for tenders and acting on the directions of the former minister.

"The accused Telu Ram has informed the VB that when he met RK Singla, he demanded Rs 30 Lakh on behalf of the former minister and on different days he has given the bribes to RK Singla Rs 20 lakh, PA Menu Malhotra Rs 6 lakh and money to officers," said the Vigilance Bureau.

The spokesperson added that on the basis of revelations as well as the material evidence above mentioned persons and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu has been nominated as accused in this case. "During the investigation, it has come on record that Telu Ram has purchased about 20 acres land and accused Meenu Malhotra, who is at large, has also made a number of properties and record is being collected in this regard," he said.

He informed that the record with regard to the posting of accused Rakesh Kumar Singla is also being collected and properties made by him would be probed.

( With inputs from ANI )