The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with a high-profile money laundering case following a series of raids conducted at his official residence and other locations.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with a high-profile money laundering case following a series of raids conducted at his official residence and other locations.
The arrest came after nearly ten hours of questioning at his Sector 2 residence in Chandigarh on Saturday. Following the interrogation, ED officials took the AAP leader to Delhi in a convoy of vehicles for further questioning, where he is expected to remain in custody overnight.
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The central agency’s investigation pertains to alleged financial irregularities amounting to ₹157.12 crore involving fictitious mobile phone transactions and bogus exports through shell companies. According to ED officials, Arora allegedly used these entities for the round-tripping of funds from Dubai to India.
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The agency has further alleged that multiple fake GST purchase bills were generated through non-existent firms based in Delhi to fraudulently claim Input Tax Credit (ITC), GST refunds and duty drawbacks, causing significant losses to the exchequer while generating illegal financial gains.
The arrest triggered a major political confrontation, with AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal accusing the Narendra Modi government of misusing investigative agencies to target opposition parties instead of focusing on genuine cases of corruption and money laundering.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also alleged that the raids were aimed at pressuring opposition leaders into joining the BJP, which he described as the “Bharat Jalao Party”.
However, the reference to AAP MP Raghav Chadha taking a contradictory stand against his own party appears unverified and requires independent confirmation.
Arora had earlier come under the ED scanner, with raids conducted at his premises in Ludhiana and Jalandhar nearly 20 days ago.
Investigators are also probing allegations that the minister used his political influence to provide protection to illegal betting operators in exchange for financial benefits.
The ED is examining his alleged role in converting unaccounted betting money into legitimate investments through entry operators and fraudulent export billing mechanisms.
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