Bharat Bhushan Ashu case: Money from tender scam invested in property? VB inquires

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, September 2

After the Vigilance Bureau (VB) registered a case on August 16 against three proprietors of Gurdas Ram and Company — Telu Ram, Sandeep Bhatia and Jagroop Singh — and government officials in connection with the tender allotment scam on August 16, it had arrested Telu Ram of Nawanshahr the same day.

The accused

1 Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former Congress minister

2 Rakesh Singla, former Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies

Ashu’s PAs

3. Meenu Pankaj Malhotra

4. Inderjit Singh

Contractors

5. Telu Ram

6. Sandeep Bhatia

7. Jagroop Singh

‘Irregularities’ in tender allotment for 2020-21 season

There were ‘irregularities’ in the allotment of tenders for labour, cartage and transportation for the lifting of foodgrain in Ludhiana. It was found that at the time of submitting tenders for 2020-21 for labour, cartage and transportation works, the lists of vehicles submitted by some contractors had registration numbers of scooters, motorcycles and cars.

After having interrogated Telu Ram for two days, the VB had on August 18 booked former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in the case. Even Rakesh Singla, then Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies, was also booked for his alleged connivance with the former Food and Civil Supplies Minister.

After Ashu, the VB secretly booked his two close aides-cum-PA Meenu Pankaj Malhotra and Inderjit Singh.

On August 22, the VB team raided the salon in Ludhiana and arrested Ashu. There was a huge drama as Lok Sabha member Ravneet Bittu had also reached the spot and exchanged arguments with the Vigilance team.

The FIR against Ashu and others were registered under Sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC and Sections 7, 8, 12 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Among the seven accused, the VB has arrested only two persons — Ashu and contractor Telu Ram. Both are in judicial custody.

Vigilance officials said Telu Ram has submitted that he met Ashu through his PA Meenu Malhotra for getting tenders for the 2020-21 season.

Malhotra got Telu Ram in touch with Rakesh Kumar Singla, then Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies.

Singla was the chairman of the departmental chief vigilance committee for tenders and was acting on the directions of former minister, said the VB.

Telu Ram told the VB that when he met Singla, he demanded Rs 30 lakh on behalf of the former minster. He gave Rs 20 lakh in bribe to Singla and Rs 6 lakh to Malhotra.

On the basis of these revelations and material evidence, Ashu was nominated as accused in the case.

Close aides of Ashu — Ludhiana Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, real estate developer Hemant Sood, Congress councillor Sunny Bhalla — were also questioned and their property details collected.

On August 31, the VB conducted a raid at the house of Congress leader Manpreet Singh Issewal at Issewal village near Mullanpur Dakha.

Manpreet is said to be the close aide of Congress leader Capt Sandeep Sandhu, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Dakha twice.

The VB seized the documents of 85 properties bought by Manpreet this year. It is inquiring if the ill-gotten money from the tender allotment scam was invested by Manpreet in buying property.

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