VB submits chargesheet against Ashu

Ludhiana: In the alleged foodgrain scam, the Vigilance Bureau (Ludhiana range) submitted a chargesheet against former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, contractor Telu Ram and commission agent (arhtiya) Krishan Lal Dhotiwala in the court of additional district and sessions judge, Ludhiana, Dr Ajit Atri.
VB officials said a 91-page challan was presented against Ashu under Section 173 of the CrPC. Total documents/ attachments in the complete challan file consisted of 1,556 pages.
Senior superintendent of police, Vigilance Bureau (Ludhiana range) Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu said all the vital evidence, including the gate pass of the grain market, vehicle numbers of two-wheelers used for “transportation” of foodgrains, have been included as charges against the contractor Telu Ram who got the tender of transporting foodgrains fraudulently. To support the charges against Ashu, the probe report related to the appointment of tainted official R K Singla and other evidence have been attached with the file.
The VB official said to substantiate charges against commission agent Krishan Lal Dhotiwala, the VB has submitted the copy of the rules that were violated to give Dhotiwala a contract for storing and shelling foodgrains at his own shellers. Also, allegations of smuggling foodgrains from other states have been levelled against him. The VB had recovered sacks of foodgrains containing stamp of Uttar Pradesh government on it.
The former minister had been arrested on August 22, in an FIR lodged on August 16, under Sections 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant etc), 467 (forgery of valuable, security or will etc), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document)120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC and 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act registered at VB police station Ludhiana.
An investigating official said further investigation in this case was under progress and the supplementary challan against other accused in this case would be submitted in due course of time.