Punjab VB asks Ludhiana MC to gather former minister Ashu’s property details
The Vigilance Bureau asked the civic body to check and provide details of alleged encroachments done by former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and his associates in Ludhiana
The Punjab vigilance bureau has asked the Ludhiana municipal corporation (MC) to gather details of the properties owned by former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and the alleged encroachments done by him or his associates on government lands in different parts of the city.
The office of the senior superintendent of police (SSP), vigilance department has written letters to MC commissioner, seeking information regarding the properties owned by Ashu’s wife councillor Mamta Ashu, his personal assistant (PA) Inderjit Singh alias Indi, who has also been booked into the case, among others.
Ashu was arrested last week for his alleged involvement in ₹2000 crore scam related to allotment of tender for transportation of grains during his tenure as food and supply minister in the previous Congress government. It has been alleged that the tenders for transportation were allotted on fake registration number of vehicles.
Earlier, the vigilance department had also sought details of properties owned by another accused Meenu Malhotra- who was also said to be the PA of the minister- in the case. The Congress has been claiming that Indi and Malhotra are not the PAs of the former minister.
VB suspects properties bought in name of associates
In a recent letter received by MC from vigilance department, the latter also asked the civic body to check and provide the details of alleged encroachments done by Ashu and his associates in different parts of the city. A few sites have been specified in the letter including a few acres alongside Buddha Nullah, a park in Haibowal dairy complex among other sites.
As per the affidavit filed by Ashu while filing nominations for the recent assembly elections - 2022, he has immovable assets worth ₹6.54 crore, including agricultural land, commercial and residential properties apart from assets worth ₹15 lakh on his wife’s name.
The vigilance department officials, however, suspect that there are other properties too which the minister might have purchased on the names of his associates or other family members.
Vigilance Bureau grills Ludhiana mayor again
The vigilance bureau on Tuesday grilled Ludhiana mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu for the second time in the past three days. The bureau had summoned the mayor with his income tax returns and some other records. However, the VB officers were not satisfied with the record and replies of the mayor and he has been asked to appear again on Wednesday with a proper record.