Absconding PA of former minister surrenders before vigilance bureau in Ludhiana

The absconding personal assistant of former Punjab minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, who had been arrested in the alleged foodgrain transportation tender scam, on Friday surrendered before the vigilance bureau in Ludhiana.

An official spokersperson said Pankaj Malhotra, the PA, would be produced before a competent court in Ludhiana on Saturday.

Malhotra, who had been working as the PA of Ashu, had allegedly received a bribe of Rs 6 lakh from one of the accused contractor Telu Ram for arranging his meeting with the former minister for allotment of tenders for transportation works, the spokesperson said.

The VB had on August 22 arrested Congress leader and former food and civil supplies minister Ashu in Ludhiana in an alleged scam related to the allotment of transportation tenders on fake registration numbers of vehicles during the previous Congress regime.

Contractor Telu Ram, commission agent Krishan Lal and some others were also booked in this case.