Chandigarh, 21 December 2024: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday granted regular bail to former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who had been implicated in a case filed by the Directorate of Enforcement. Besides, Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu quashed two FIRs registered by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, which were related to alleged irregularities in food and transportation policies and a tender scam.
Ashu, who held the position of Cabinet minister in charge of food and transportation in 2018, has maintained that the procurement policy for food grains was approved by the Punjab Cabinet under his leadership. This policy involved the purchase of food grains through agencies like the Food Corporation of India, from various mandis across Punjab. His defense underlined that the policy was transparent, and the tendering process was conducted online through e-tenders, which were allocated on merit by the District Tender Committee. Ashu firmly stated that he had no influence over the awarding of tenders to any particular individual or firm.
The two FIRs were registered in Ludhiana and Nawanshahr, alleging a scam in the tender process. Ashu’s legal team, led by Senior Advocate Bipan Ghai and Counsel Nikhil Ghai, contended that Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act had been violated. This section stipulates that public servants can only be prosecuted with prior sanction. The court has instructed the state to respond to the claim regarding Ashu’s entitlement to protection under this provision.
A full court order on the matter is expected soon.
