E-Paper
Food grain scam: Former minister Ashu’s PA surrenders before VB
Pankaj Meenu Malhotra, personal assistant (PA) to former food and civil supply minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who was wanted by the vigilance bureau in the alleged ₹2,000 cr food grains transportation scam, surrendered on Friday.
Pankaj Meenu Malhotra, personal assistant (PA) to former food and civil supply minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who was wanted by the vigilance bureau in the alleged ₹2,000 cr food grains transportation scam, surrendered on Friday. He was accompanied by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Kapil Kumar Sonu to the vigilance bureau.
A total of seven accused out of a total of 17 have been arrested so far in the case. Malhotra was under pressure due to apprehension that the court might declare him proclaimed offender (PO) in this scam with the vigilance bureau already initiating legal proceedings against him. Another accused Inderjit Singh alias Indi, another PA to Ashu, is yet to surrender and PO proceedings have been initiated against him too. The next date of the hearing is December 23. Malhotra would be produced in the court on Saturday.
On August 16, 2022, the vigilance bureau registered a case against the partners of Gurdas Ram and company, officials of the state food and civil supplies department, and employees of concerned procurement agencies for allegedly committing irregularities in accepting labour, cartage and transportation tenders for grain markets in Ludhiana district. An FIR was registered under sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust), 467 (forgery of valuable security, etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document), 120B (party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence) of the IPC and sections 7 (2), 8, 12 and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the vigilance bureau police station in Ludhiana.
Malhotra has been avoiding the vigilance sleuths for the past four months. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP, Vigilance Bureau) Ravinderpal Singh confirmed the development and said Indi, co-accused and another PA to Ashu, is yet to be arrested. The apex court had denied bail to the accused.
The vigilance bureau claimed that they have traced the properties of Ashu and Malhotra worth ₹150 cr in the city, which is the tip of the iceberg. The vigilance bureau suspected that Ashu had invested money in property in foreign countries with his loyalists.
According to the vigilance officials, contractor Telu Ram, who is lodged in the jail on judicial remand, had submitted that he met ex-minister Ashu through the latter’s PA Malhotra, for getting tenders for the season 2020-21. Malhotra told Telu Ram to meet Rakesh Kumar Singla, deputy director, of food and civil supplies. Singla was chairman of the departmental chief of vigilance committee for tenders and acted at the minister’s behest, VB has alleged.
Telu Ram had further informed the vigilance bureau that when he met Singla, the latter demanded ₹30 lakh on behalf of Ashu. Ram said on different days, he had given bribes to Singla ( ₹20 lakh), and PA Malhotra ( ₹6 lakh) and similar amounts were paid to other officers as well. Singla, who, according to the police, has fled the country, was declared PO on December 5 by the court.
