Corruption case against ex-minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu: HC seeks status report on probe

The response has been sought by July 25 and police have been told to file a status report in the FIR in which his alleged role is being investigated, the lawyers said. The detailed order is awaited. The plea further demands that he be given seven days’ notice, in the event of police’s plan to arrest him.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Monday sought response from the state government on the plea from former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, seeking directions to state police to conduct a “fair and proper inquiry” into corruption allegations against him and grant him opportunity of hearing before registration of a criminal case.

The response has been sought by July 25 and police have been told to file a status report in the FIR in which his alleged role is being investigated, the lawyers said. The detailed order is awaited. The plea further demands that he be given seven days’ notice, in the event of police’s plan to arrest him.

Ashu, who was the minister of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs during the Congress regime, argued that unsuccessful contractors, who were ineligible to participate in e-tender process of the Punjab government from 2018 to 2022, have filed complaints against him now out of vengeance.

Ashu is accused of corruption in awarding tenders for transportation of food grains during Congress government.

The former minister claims the contractors remained silent all this while, but now, with change of government, they are complaining about the tendering process in order to “implicate” him.