LUDHIANA: A local court today sent the former Food and Civil Supplies minister of Punjab Bharat Bhushan Ashu on five days police remand in a case of corruption registered against him by the state Vigilance Bureau. Ashu was arrested yesterday from a saloon in Ludhiana.
The Congress party workers led by PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring held a protest outside court blaming the Bhagwant Mann government for political vendetta. CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa also joined the protest beside Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu.
The VB has told the court that Ashu being a minister committed a fraud of Rs.2000 crore in transportation of food grains through fake vehicles. The tenders were given to favourites of minister and tonnes of food grains were transported on vehiles bearing registration numbers of scooters and motocycles. The court granted his remand till August 27 for further interogation.
The names of PPCC president Raja Wartring and other congress leaders is also figuring in the food grain transportation scandal. A comllaint of similar fraud has also been filed against former finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal with the SSP Vigilance Bathinda.