Punjab Tender Scam: ED Freezes Assets Worth Rs. 22.78 Crore in Major Money Laundering Case.
27 September 2024
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jalandhar has provisionally attached assets valued at approximately Rs. 22.78 crore in a money laundering investigation connected to a tender scam involving former Punjab Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Sharma. The seized properties, linked to individuals implicated in the scam, include real estate in Ludhiana, Mohali, and Khanna, as well as movable assets like bank accounts, gold jewelry, and bullion.
The ED's investigation was prompted by multiple FIRs filed by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The inquiry revealed that Sharma allegedly favored specific contractors for tender allocations in exchange for bribes, facilitated by associates including Rajdeep Singh Nagra and Rakesh Kumar Singla, along with some government officials.
The ED has conducted extensive searches across 28 locations in Punjab and has arrested Sharma and Nagra under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, both of whom are currently in judicial custody. The investigation is ongoing.