Grain-lifting tender scam: Former Punjab minister Ashu sent to Patiala jail due to ‘security reasons’

After the court ordered Ashu to be sent to jail, he was taken to Ludhiana Central Jail. However, orders were soon received to take him to Patiala Central Jail where VIPs such as Navjot Singh Sidhu, Daler Mehndi are already lodged. Sources said that Ludhiana jail authorities refused to keep Ashu because of “security concerns” and it was communicated to higher officials that it would be better if Ashu was lodged in some other jail.

Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior jail official from Ludhiana said: “Ashu is a local politician and he might have both foes and friends inside Ludhiana jail. In Patiala jail, there is a proper setup to lodge VIP inmates in separate barracks but there is no such arrangement in Ludhiana jail. There could be attacks on Ashu in Ludhiana jail due to old enmity and several local Congress leaders will also come to meet him. To avoid any such situation, he has been sent to Patiala jail.”

Meanwhile, the vigilance on Wednesday sought three-day extension in Ashu’s police remand but it was declined and the former minister was sent to jail.

The Ludhiana vigilance has also started to probe the activities of former Congress party block president Manpreet Singh Sekhon, another close confidant of Ashu, who allegedly got at least a hundred registries of properties executed in his name in one year.

While reports said that Manpreet was the OSD of Congress leader Captain Sandeep Sandhu, he, however, denied the same. “Manpreet from Issewal village of Ludhiana is neither my PA, nor my OSD. Vigilance raided his house today and asked for some documents related to his properties. He is nowhere linked to me in personal capacity and is a Congress worker,” Sandhu said.

A senior officer from Ludhiana vigilance said that summons have been issued to Sekhon to explain registries done in his name. An officer said, “He is claiming that he is a property dealer but we have sought more details. At least a hundred fresh registries have been found in his name.”