Chandigarh, 21 December 2024: The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted regular bail to former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on Friday, in connection with a case registered by the Directorate of Enforcement.
Justice Mahabir Singh Sindhu also quashed two FIRs filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, which involved allegations related to food and transportation policies, as well as a purported tender scam.
Ashu, who served as the Cabinet minister overseeing food and transportation in 2018, has consistently defended his actions. His legal team explained that the procurement policy for food grains was formulated under the direction of the Punjab Cabinet when he took office. The policy, which involved acquiring food grains through agencies such as the Food Corporation of India from various mandis in Punjab, was aimed at streamlining the procurement process.
Ashu’s lawyers emphasized that the policy included the use of e-tendering, a transparent, online process for tender allocations, managed by the District Tender Committee. The minister had no personal involvement in awarding tenders to specific contractors or firms.
The case, however, centers on two separate FIRs filed in Ludhiana and Nawanshahr, which alleged a scam in the tendering process. In defense, Senior Advocate Bipan Ghai, along with counsel Nikhil Ghai, argued that Section 17-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, had been violated. This provision requires a sanction before any prosecution of a public servant. They called for a specific response from the state government regarding Ashu’s entitlement to protection under this clause.
A detailed order from the court is still awaited.
