Chandigarh, Aug 24 : The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on Thursday at locations associated with Bharat Bhushan Ashu, a former Punjab cabinet minister and prominent Congress leader, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation, according to official sources.
Approximately 10 properties in Ludhiana and nearby areas are currently being searched by ED officials under the framework of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The searches are being carried out with the support of a security escort provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), a central paramilitary organization.
Simultaneous raids are also taking place at the residences of close associates of the former minister, including Raman Subramanian, former chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust, and Sunny Bhalla, a former municipal councillor.
The ED’s inquiry into the Congress leader revolves around allegations of irregularities and the purported receipt of kickbacks through intermediaries in exchange for manipulating tenders related to food procurement and transportation, including concerns about quality and contractual conditions.
The money laundering case is founded on an initial FIR filed by the Punjab vigilance bureau. Ashu had previously been apprehended in connection with the case and was subsequently granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The vigilance bureau had registered the case against Ashu in relation to suspected irregularities in the allotment of tenders for labor, cartage, and transportation associated with the transportation of food grains in Ludhiana.
Formerly holding the portfolio of food, civil supplies, and consumer affairs minister in Punjab, Ashu currently serves as the working president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).
