Grains transportation scam: Vigilance summons Bharat Bhushan Ashu loyalist councillor to join probe
The vigilance bureau team also visited the house of Bhalla, but he was not present at home. On Friday, dismissed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Balwinder Singh Sekhon along with his supporters filed a complaint against Ashu to the VB officials. Sekhon had an old rivalry with Ashu following which Bharat Bhushan Ashu had allegedly dismissed him from the job.
Vigilance bureau on Friday summoned congress councillor Gagandeep Sunny Bhalla, a loyal of former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, to join the investigation in the alleged ₹2000 crore food grains transportation tenders scam. The vigilance bureau team also visited the house of Bhalla, but he was not present at home. On Friday, dismissed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Balwinder Singh Sekhon along with his supporters filed a complaint against Bharat Bhushan Ashu to the VB officials. Sekhon had an old rivalry with Ashu following which Ashu had allegedly dismissed him from the job.
The vigilance bureau claimed that they have traced the properties of Ashu and his Personal Assistant Meenu Pankaj Malhotra worth ₹150 crores in the city, which is a tip of the iceberg. They are in contact with municipal corporation officials and revenue department to trace more properties. Another loyalist of Ashu is under the scanner of the vigilance bureau. The vigilance bureau suspected that Ashu had invested money in property in foreign countries with his loyalists.
Sunny Bhalla was actively taking part in the protest against the Vigilance Bureau since Monday, when the bureau had arrested Ashu from a saloon. On Thursday, Bhalla had indulged in a spat with Gurpreet Singh, a contractor and complainant in the case. Gurpreet Singh along with other contractors had staged a protest against congress leaders, outside the Vigilance Bureau office, and alleged them for hampering the investigation. Gurpreet Singh had accused Bhalla for abusing and threatening him.
Meanwhile, dismissed DSP Sekhon in his complaint accused Ashu for his alleged involvement in 1992 Gur Mandi bomb blast case. He also alleged that Ashu was involved in the criminal cases including murders.
While talking to the media Sekhon said that as a citizen he has a right to be the witness in such cases. He has produced the complaint including the evidence to the Vigilance bureau to attach it with the case.
Sekhon has indulged in a verbal spat with the congress workers protesting outside the Vigilance bureau office.
Ashu will be produced before the court on Saturday. Ravinder Pal Singh, senior superintendent of police (SSP, Vigilance Bureau) said that they would request the court to extend the police remand of the accused.
Meanwhile, the vigilance bureau on Friday nominated Inderjit Singh alias Indi another Personal Assistant to Former Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in the FIR lodged in the matter. Earlier, the bureau had nominated Meenu Pankaj Malhotra, PA to Ashu in the case. Indi and Malhotra both are on the run.
AAP targeting opposition leaders on behest of BJP, alleges Chaudhary
All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Punjab and Chandigarh, Harish Chaudhary said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is “B team of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”. The AAP government has been targeting the opposition on the behest of BJP.
Chaudhary along with Punjab congress chief Raja Warring reached Ludhiana on Friday in support of former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who was arrested by vigilance bureau on Monday in ₹2000 crore food grains transportation tenders scam and is in custody of vigilance bureau on police remand.
Chaudhary said that AAP has failed in fulfilling their promises that they had made with the people prior to assembly elections. AAP has failed in maintaining law and order conditions in the state and now to divert the attention from the main issues, they are adopting cheap tactics.
Chaudhary condemned the way the AAP is targeting the opposition leaders and termed action against congress leaders including Ashu, Dharamsot as ‘political vendetta’ while stating that congress stands with all his workers.
Meanwhile, Raja Warring said that they are hoping that vigilance may not have found anything against Ashu and said that vigilance would not be getting any extension in Ashu’s remand from the court on Saturday.
Warring also targeted AAP government over murder of Singer turned politician Sidhu Moose Wala. He stated that a promised life was cut short due to cheap publicity stunts of AAP leaders who had trimmed the security of opposition leaders and also advertised it.
