AAP leader Sanjeev Arora (File photo)
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora after carrying out fresh searches against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and several others allegedly linked to him in connection with a money laundering probe.Also Read | ED raids Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora’s home in money laundering caseOfficials said Arora was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).The Punjab industries minister was taken into custody hours after the ED conducted raids at five locations across Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh, including his official residence in Chandigarh as well as premises linked to his associates and companies.Arora had also faced ED action in April, just days after similar raids were conducted against then-AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal. Shortly afterwards, Mittal joined the BJP along with six other Rajya Sabha MPs from the party, including Raghav Chadha.Also Read | ‘Happy where I am’: Minister Sanjeev Arora rules out AAP exit after ED raidsAccording to ED, Arora and entities linked to him generated fake purchase bills for mobile phones through non-existent firms operating out of Delhi. Investigators suspect these transactions were used to fraudulently claim input tax credit (ITC), GST refunds and export-related benefits.The central agency further alleged that the proceeds from the transactions were routed through exports and later “round-tripped” from Dubai to India in an attempt to legitimise illicit funds. The 62-year-old leader is the MLA from Ludhiana West and a former Rajya Sabha member. His arrest comes less than a year before Punjab is scheduled to go to the assembly polls in February 2027.AAP leaders have linked the action to the upcoming elections, accusing the BJP-led Centre of pursuing a campaign of political vendetta through central investigative agencies. “By conducting ED raids, their purpose is not to find any black money or illegal documents. Their purpose is to send a message to the person being raided that if they join the BJP, everything will be forgiven,” Punjab chief minister Bhagwat Mann told reporters in Sangrur.Also Read | ‘This is Punjab, not scared by threats’: Bhagwant Mann after ED raid on ministerAAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also attacked the BJP, claiming the party would face a political backlash in Punjab.“Modi ji, go ahead and conduct four more ED raids — the BJP will lose deposits on all its seats. The leaders you arrest may come out in four days, but the BJP will not be able to set foot in Punjab for the next twenty years,” Kejriwal posted on X.
