Former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu remanded to police custody till August 27

Rajneesh Lakhanpal

Legal Correspondent

Ludhiana, August 23

Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar on Tuesday remanded the former Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu to police custody till August 27, in a corruption case of tender allotment scam relating to transportation.

Contractor Telu Ram addressing the court denied to have made any confessional or disclosure statement to the Vigilance Bureau naming anyone for taking bribe. He claimed VB officials were taking his signatures as per their convenience. Immediately, one ACP from VB intervened and submitted before the court that they have written whatever the accused stated and nothing more. The court extended his police remand till August 25.

While addressing the court, the former minister alleged false implication due to political rivalry. He claimed himself to be innocent.

Vigilance Bureau’s Special Public Prosecutor Balwinder Singh has sought the remand on the plea that both the accused were required to be confronted face to face during remand on material points to unearth the big scam.

He also pleaded that two of the accused have fled India, but they were in touch with the ex-minister. So his custodial interrogation was necessary to know about their whereabouts. Apart from this, he was required to be put to questioning as to what assets or properties the accused has allegedly amassed from the ill-gotten money.

The duo was produced before the Court around 4.20 pm amid tight security under the supervision of ADCP Suhail Quasim Mir and his team. The proceedings continued even after 5 pm, when the court time was over. The court room was jam-packed as a large number of lawyers have gathered there in support of the ex-minister.

PPCC Legal Cell chairman Dharamjit Singh Khera, former state chairman P D Sharma and general secretary Kamaljit Sharma condemned the AAP government for allegedly indulging in political rivalry.