Chandigarh34 minutes ago
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File photo of former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has rejected the bail plea of former Punjab Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who was caught in the tender allotment scam of grain transportation. Court has denied bail to accused Ashu in the case registered against him by Vigilance in Ludhiana on August 16.
Hearing of another case registered in Ludhiana will be held on November 9
Apart from this, accused Bharat Bhushan Ashu could not get relief from the High Court in another case registered against him on September 22 in Ludhiana itself. The High Court has fixed November 9 for hearing on his petition to quash his FIR. Accused Ashu had filed a bail application in this case on Monday itself.
Accused Sunny Bhalla was arrested
Earlier, Vigilance had arrested Gagandeep Singh Sunny Bhalla, a close aide of accused Ashu and Congress councilor, on October 12. Then on October 13, he was produced before the duty magistrate and his police remand was taken for two days.
Bharat Bhushan Ashu is lodged in Patiala Jail
Vigilance took action in the matter on the statement of contractor Gurpreet Singh. Gurpreet had said that there has been a disturbance in the transportation of grain markets in Ludhiana. Taking action in the matter, Vigilance registered a case of grain transportation scam on 16 August. The very next day, contractor Telu Ram was arrested and on 22 August, former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu was arrested while getting his hair cut in the salon. Accused Ashu is currently lodged in Patiala Central Jail.
Fake numbers were put on vehicles
The accused Ashu was arrested by the Vigilance Bureau on August 22. During the vigilance investigation, it was found that during Ashu’s tenure as Food and Supplies Minister, the contractors were sent to transport food grains from the mandis of Ludhiana. The Vigilance Bureau had also claimed that fake numbers of scooters and motorcycles and cars were used for vehicles used to transport food grains.