ED arrests Ashu in transportation tender scam
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, August 1
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday arrested former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in an alleged multi-crore transportation tender allotment scam related to his department. The Ludhiana-based Congress leader reached the office of the ED here around 10.30 am for interrogation in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Officials said Ashu was not fully cooperating during the questioning, so it was decided to arrest him. He would be kept in the lockup at the ED office this night. The office is being heavily guarded by the CISF personnel since morning.
He will be taken to a court tomorrow morning where the ED will seek his remand for further interrogation.
As reports of his arrest started going around, Congress leaders started gathering outside the ED office. Jalandhar DCC chief Rajinder Beri termed Ashu’s arrest as political vendetta. The ED conducted raids on 10 premises of Ashu and others accused in August last year in connection with a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The agency seized gold bullion and jewellery worth Rs 2.12 crore and deposits worth Rs 6.5 crore from the accused during raids held in Ludhiana, Nawanshahr, Mohali and Amritsar.
The ED is trying to ascertain the money trail following a Vigilance Bureau case lodged against the accused regarding the Transportation and Labour Cartage Policy 2021 and allotment of plots by the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT) under the LDP scheme.
Others on the radar are former LIT Chairman Raman Balasubramium, his PA Pankaj Kumar, Deputy Director RK Singla, besides three contractors Telu Ram, Yashpal and Ajaypal for allegedly committing the fraud and embezzlement and causing huge losses to the state exchequer.
The VB lodged a case against them in September 2022 under Sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and under Sections 7, 8, 12 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act .
