Chandigarh 25/02/2020:
Punjab Meals, Civil Provides & Shopper Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu at Punjab meeting throughout ongoing price range session in Chandigarh on Tuesday, February 25 2020. Picture:
| Picture Credit score: Akhilesh Kumar
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), after a search operation, has seized property and deposits of near ₹6 crore linked to former Punjab Cupboard Minister and Congress chief Bharat Bhushan Ashu in connection to a cash laundering case surrounding an alleged tender rip-off in Punjab.
Based on an official assertion the ED carried out search operations at 25 areas in Punjab on August 24, in reference to the Punjab tender rip-off case together with the residential premises of Mr. Ashu, the previous Minister of Meals and Civil Provides in Punjab and Raman Balasubramanium, the previous Chairman of Ludhiana Enchancment Belief (LIT) and their accomplices.
ED had initiated a cash laundering investigation on the premise of FIRs registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau beneath varied sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860 and of Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988 surrounding the Transportation and Labour Cartage Coverage 2021 of the Punjab authorities, stated the assertion.
“It’s alleged that the tenders have been allotted to contractors who approached the Minister by Rakesh Kumar Singla, Chairman of CVC, Meals and Civil Provides. By means of this favouritism, the allottee contractors acquired undue benefits inflicting loss to the federal government exchequer. Additional, FIRs associated to LIT rip-off concerning allotment of plots to bogus individuals was additionally considered for the aim of the search,” added the assertion.
“In the course of the search operation, a complete quantity of Rs. 4.81 crores mendacity in a number of financial institution accounts of the searched individuals, prima facie recognized as proceeds of crime, have been frozen. Additionally, 5 immovable properties price Rs 1.54 crores (roughly) together with 4 financial institution lockers have additionally been frozen. Varied incriminating paperwork, digital units and Indian foreign money of round Rs. 30 lakhs have additionally been seized from varied premises,” it stated.