ED Raids Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora in Fresh Money Laundering Investigation
Enforcement Directorate conducts searches in Chandigarh, Delhi, and Gurugram over alleged fake GST export transactions.
The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday carried out fresh raids against Sanjeev Arora and individuals allegedly linked to him in connection with a newly registered money laundering case.
Officials said the searches included Arora’s official residence in Chandigarh along with other locations in Delhi and Gurugram. Premises associated with Hampton Sky Realty Ltd were also searched during the operation.
According to officials, the latest investigation has been registered under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The case reportedly relates to alleged fake GST purchases of mobile phones worth more than ₹100 crore and suspected export transactions used to route funds from Dubai back into India.
Investigators allege that fake GST purchase bills were generated through non existent firms based in Delhi in order to fraudulently claim Input Tax Credit benefits.
Arora, a 62 year old MLA from Ludhiana West representing the Aam Aadmi Party, was previously questioned by the ED in April under the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act. He was also investigated in a separate money laundering case in 2024 related to alleged misuse of industrial land for residential projects during his tenure as a Rajya Sabha MP.
Reacting to the raids, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of targeting Punjab through repeated ED actions. In a post on X, Kejriwal alleged that Punjab and its people had been unfairly treated and pressured by the Centre over the past few years.
Bhagwant Mann also criticised the raids and claimed that multiple investigations against Arora had failed to uncover wrongdoing. He stated that Punjab would not bow to political pressure and described the ED action as part of a larger political strategy by the BJP.
The AAP has termed the raids a politically motivated campaign ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for early 2027. Meanwhile, the ED has intensified action against several politically connected individuals and business groups in the state over recent weeks.
Earlier, the agency also conducted searches linked to Ashok Kumar Mittal and several builders and real estate companies in Punjab as part of separate investigations.