Vigilance Bureau arrests another accused trader in paddy scam in Ludhiana

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], November 4 (ANI): The Punjab Vigilance Bureau has arrested another accused in the paddy scam in the grain markets of Ludhiana and other districts, said spokesperson Vigilance Bureau on Friday.
The arrested accused is identified as trader Kalu Ram, a resident of New Abaadi, Jaiton Mandi, district Faridkot and was avoiding his arrest since long. He was produced in Ludhiana district court and has been granted two days police remand to the Bureau.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the state Vigilance Bureau informed that Kalu Ram was closely associated with absconding accused Rakesh Kumar Singla, a suspended deputy director of Food and Civil Supplies department Punjab and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former minister of this department.
He further added that accused Kalu Ram, under the administrative and political shelter, had provided paddy to the accused rice millers namely Krishan Lal and Surinder Kumar Dhotiwala from other states procured without MSP on the basis of forged and fabricated bills.
The accused had also helped these accused commission agents/ aartiyaas in fabrication of bills showing more crop in the Ludhiana district instead of actual production of paddy brought by farmers at their shops, in order to get more amount in lieu of MSP from the state government, added the official.
The spokesperson further informed that in this regard a case on 16.08.22 had already been registered under sections 420, 465 , 468, 471, 120-B of IPC and under sections 7, 8, 12, 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act at VB police station Ludhiana range.
In this case out of 16 accused, 11 accused namely former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, contractors Telu Ram, Jagroop Singh and Sandeep Bhatia, commission agents Anil Jain, Kishan Lal Dhotiwala and Surinder Kumar Dhotiwala, including DFSCs Harveen Kaur and Sukhwinder Singh Gill besides two private assistants of former minister Ashu namely Pankaj @ Meenu Malhotra and Inderjit Indi have already been arrested.
Two accused Surinder Beri DFSC (Retd.) and Jagandeep Dhillon DM Punsup have been granted anticipatory bail by the High Court whereas the anticipatory bail application of accused Paramjeet Chechi has been dismissed by the Supreme Court and he has been directed to surrender before the VB.
The spokesperson further informed that one prime accused RK Singla Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies department has already been declared a proclaimed offender by the competent court. (ANI)