In connection with an alleged food grain transportation bids scam, a local court in this city on Tuesday ordered former minister and Congress politician Bharat Bhushan Ashu to the custody of the Vigilance Bureau till August 27.
He was presented at Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar’s court.
Before Ashu was scheduled to appear before the court, strict security measures were put in place.
One of the co-accused in this case, Telu Ram, was given a remand until August 25.
The entire matter was referred to as “false and frivolous” by Ashu’s attorneys throughout their more than one hour-long argument. They claimed it was a blatant instance of “political rivalry and vendetta just to appease some political bosses.” Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, the head of the Punjab Congress, Partap Singh Bajwa, the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Ravneet Singh Bittu, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Pargat Singh, and other party leaders were also present in the courthouse where the hearing was held.
The former food and supply minister for the previous Congress administration, Ashu, was detained by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Monday.
Ashu, the working president of the Congress’ state unit, was detained in Ludhiana by the state vigilance bureau in connection with a scheme involving the distribution of transportation tenders on the basis of fictitious car registration numbers under the previous Congress administration.
Ashu is the second minister from the previous administration that has been detained in the state.
Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, a former minister and Congress leader, was detained by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in June on suspicion of corruption.
