The Impressive TimesPunjab, 5 September 2024: In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Rajdeep Singh, a close aide of former Congress minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, in connection with the ongoing investigation into the food grain transportation tenders scam. The arrest took place following a raid conducted in Khanna, Punjab. Rajdeep Singh, a commission agent by profession, is believed to have close ties with several political figures, adding a new dimension to the high-profile case. This arrest is linked to the broader money-laundering investigation involving former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who has already been implicated in the same scam. Ashu, who served as the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies in the Punjab government, was taken into custody by the ED on August 1, 2023, following extensive questioning at the agency’s zonal office. The arrest of Ashu had come after a series of raids on his properties, as well as those of Raman Balasubramanium, a former chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust, and other individuals associated with the case.
The money-laundering investigation originates from an FIR filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau regarding the state government’s 2021 transportation and labour cartage policy. Allegations suggest that tenders for transportation services were fraudulently awarded to contractors who had approached Ashu through Rakesh Kumar Singla, the chairman of the Central Vigilance Committee (CVC) of Food and Civil Supplies. According to the ED, these contractors secured the tenders through underhanded dealings, bypassing due process. In addition to the transportation tender scam, the investigation has also been expanded to cover complaints related to the Ludhiana Improvement Trust “scam.” This case involves the alleged allotment of plots to fictitious individuals, further complicating the legal troubles for Ashu and his associates. The ED’s ongoing investigation has revealed that significant sums of money were laundered through these illegal transactions, leading to the current crackdown. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, aged 53, remains in the custody of the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, having been remanded until August 27, 2024, for further questioning. The ED’s actions have intensified the scrutiny on corruption and irregularities within the state government, especially in its handling of food grain transportation and land allotment policies.
The case continues to unfold, with the ED expected to make further arrests and gather more evidence as the investigation progresses. The arrests of key figures like Rajdeep Singh and Bharat Bhushan Ashu have raised significant concerns about the influence of political connections in such large-scale scams, drawing attention to the need for stricter enforcement of anti-corruption measures in the state.
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