LUDHIANA: In the alleged food grain scam case the Vigilance Bureau Ludhiana range submitted chargesheet against former food, civil supplies & consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, contractor Telu Ram and commission agent (arhtiya) Krishan Lal Dhotiwala, in the court of Dr Ajit Atri, additional district and sessions judge Ludhiana.
The vigilance official stated that the challan was presented against the above-mentioned accused under section 173 of CrPC and it was contained in 91 pages. Total documents/ Attachments in the complete challan file were of 1556 pages.
Senior Superintendent of Police- Vigilance Bureau Ludhiana range, Ravinder Pal Singh Sandhu stated that all the vital evidence including the gate pass of the grain market, vehicle numbers of two-wheelers used for "transportation" of food grain are included to proof changes against the contractor Telu Ram who got the tender of transporting food grain fraudulently. Besides, to support the charges against the former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, the probe report related to the appointment of tinted image official RK Singla and other evidence have been attached with the file.
The VB official said that to stand charges against the 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 food grain at his own shellers. Also, allegations of smuggling food grain from other states are leveled on him. The VB has already recovered the sacks of food grain containing the stamp of Uttar Pradesh government on it.
Further, VB informed that the former minister was arrested on August 22, in the FIR lodged on August 16, under section 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 IPC and 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of Prevention of Corruption Act registered at police station VB Ludhiana against Telu Ram contractor and others besides owner/partners of Gurdas Ram & Company.
He informed that further investigation in this regard was under progress and the supplementary challan against the other accused in this case would be submitted in due course.
