Contractor held in ‘transport, labour tender scam’ case

Jalandhar, November 13

The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) today arrested the fifth accused, a contractor, in the alleged labour cartage and transport tender scam linked with former Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu.

Contractor Ajaypal, a resident of Udhanwal of Nawanshahr, had been booked in the case along with other contractors, the officers concerned of the department and procurement agencies. He had been reportedly evading arrest in the case, but due to continuous raids by the VB at his various locations, he surrendered before the court today. Later, the bureau got his two-day police remand from court.

A case had already been registered against Ashu, his PA Pankaj Kumar, alias Menu Malhotra, suspended Deputy Director RK Singla, DFSC Rakesh Bhaskar, besides three contractors Telu Ram, Yashpal and Ajaypal (all residents of Udhanwal village) for allegedly committing the fraud and causing huge losses to the state exchequer.

Today’s arrest was the fifth in the case as Ashu, Malhotra, Telu Ram, Yashpal and Ajaypal had already been arrested. The VB officials said the remaining absconding accused would be arrested soon. An accused in the case, DFSC Rakesh Bhaskar has already passed away while Singla has been declared a proclaimed offender by a Ludhiana court.

A senior VB official said during the filing of tenders for labour cartage and transport in the grain markets in 2020-21, Honey Kumar, proprietor of RS Cooperative Labour and Construction Society, had submitted tenders for Nawanshahr and Rahon clusters.

Another entity PG Godown had also filed tenders for Nawanshahr only, but the tenders were awarded to contractor Telu Ram. Later, for 2022-23, Honey again submitted tenders, but the tenders were given to contractor Ajaypal, he added.