The courtroom of Chief Judicial Magistrate Sumit Makkar remanded Pankaj Meenu Malhotra, private assistant to former minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu for 3 days within the Vigilance Bureau custody for questioning on Saturday in 2,000 crore meals grain transportation rip-off. The vigilance bureau produced the accused earlier than the courtroom on Saturday.

Pankaj Malhotra, who was absconding within the multi-crore transportation tender rip-off within the grain markets of the state, had surrendered earlier than the vigilance bureau on Friday.

The vigilance bureau demanded 5 days police remand of the accused. However, the courtroom despatched the accused to 3 days remand.

The vigilance bureau officers said that through the probe and materials proof, it has come to mild that accused Meenu Malhotra was working as PA with Bharat Bhushan Ashu and had obtained bribe cash of 6 lakh from accused contractor Telu Ram to be able to prepare his assembly with the previous minister for allotment of tenders for labor and transportation works for the 12 months 2020-21 within the grain markets. He added that additional investigation of this case was below progress.

On August 16, the vigilance bureau had registered a case below Sections 420, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B of Indian Penal Code and seven, 8, 12, 13(2) of prevention of corruption act towards contractor Telu Ram , Jagroop Singh, Sandeep Bhatia and companions of Gurdas Ram & firm in addition to officers, officers of Punjab meals and civil provides division moreover respective officers, staff of the involved procurement businesses for allocation of labor and transportation tenders in varied grain markets.