Food Supplies Transport Tender Scam: ED attached properties of Rs. 22.78 Crore of Ex-Minister Ashu and others involved in money laundering

Jalandhar: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jalandhar has provisionally attached properties worth Rs. 22.78 Crore (approx) in a money laundering case related to Transport Tender Scam in the Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs when Bharat Bhushan Sharma @ Ashu was Cabinet Minister, in Ministry of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Government of Punjab.

The properties attached, belonging to persons involved in money laundering, include immovable properties situated at Ludhiana, Mohali, Khanna and other parts of Punjab and movable properties in the form of FDRs, Gold Jewellery, Bullions and bank accounts.
ED initiated investigation on the basis of various FIRs registered by the Vigilance Bureau, Punjab, under various sections of IPC, 1860 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 related to ‘Tender Scam’ in the Department of Food and Civil Supplies.

ED investigation revealed that the then minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, favoured selected contractors in the allotment of tenders and promised higher profits to them, thereby collecting bribes from them through Rajdeep Singh Nagra, Rakesh Kumar Singla and other persons including a few government officers of Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department.

The bribe money was further laundered to purchase movable and immovable properties using network of shell entities.
Earlier, ED had conducted two searches dated 24.08.2023 and 04.09.2024 in the case at 28
locations in different parts of Punjab. Further, during investigation, Bharat Bhushan Sharma @ Ashu and his close aide Rajdeep
Singh Nagra were arrested under PMLA, 2002 on 01.08.2024 and 04.09.2024 respectively for committing the offence of money laundering and both are in Judicial Custody at present. Further investigation is under progress.