Punjab Congress Leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu Arrested in Money Laundering Case

Former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu has been arrested by the ED for allegedly laundering proceeds from a tender scam through shell companies. The ED produced him before a PMLA court, which granted five days' custody. The Congress condemned the arrest, terming it as vendetta politics.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punjab Congress leader and former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu on allegations of laundering proceeds from a tender scam. Ashu is accused of using multiple shell companies to channel the illicit funds.

The 53-year-old politician, who previously served as the minister of consumer affairs, food, and civil supplies, was brought before a special PMLA court in Jalandhar. The court has remanded him to five days in ED custody following his arrest at the agency's Jalandhar office.

The money-laundering investigation originates from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, linking Ashu to a tender scandal within his department. The arrest has drawn criticism from Congress leaders, who denounce it as political vendetta.

(With inputs from agencies.)