A fresh political controversy erupted in Punjab on Thursday after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) claimed that a businessman linked to an ongoing land scam and money laundering investigation was allegedly associated with Aam Aadmi Party’s Punjab chief and state minister Aman Arora.
The development came after the central agency carried out raids at multiple places in Chandigarh and Mohali. According to officials, the searches were connected to a probe into alleged irregularities in real estate projects and suspected money laundering activities linked to land deals.
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The ED said the searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The action focused on properties and offices connected to the Suntec City housing project and several real estate firms operating in Punjab.
Builders and real estate firms under investigation
The agency said the Suntec City project was developed by the Indian Cooperative Housing Building Society. Raids were also conducted at premises linked to promoter Ajay Sehgal, ABS Townships, Altus Space Builders, Dhir Constructions and people connected with these firms.
Among those named by the ED was builder Gaurav Dhir of Dhir Constructions. The agency alleged that Dhir was a “close associate” of Aman Arora. The minister, however, has not been accused of any direct financial wrongdoing in the case so far.
Investigators are examining how Change of Land Use permissions were allegedly obtained by the real estate groups. The ED believes the permissions were secured fraudulently, allowing the firms to benefit from land development projects worth crores of rupees.
The raids reportedly led to the recovery of several documents that the agency described as “incriminating”. According to the ED, these papers suggest that private individuals may have interfered in government functioning in Punjab.
Rs 130 crore deal under scanner
The agency also raised questions over a major business transaction involving a company named Suncity Projects.
According to the ED, Dhir allegedly purchased a project from Altus Space Builders Private Limited for Rs 130 crore through Suncity Projects. Investigators claimed the property was undervalued by more than Rs 170 crore to allegedly help route illegal money through the deal.
The agency further named two alleged middlemen: Nitin Gohal and Pritpal Singh Dhindsa. Officials claimed they played a role in arranging “political patronage and protection” for the accused persons involved in the matter.
Aman Arora calls ED action “false propaganda”
I have come to know from media reports that my name has figured in ED’s raids today. My entire life was, is & will always be above board. Not going to be bowed down by such false propagandas.
— Aman Arora (@AroraAmanSunam) May 7, 2026
Soon after media reports linked his name to the raids, Aman Arora strongly reacted to the allegations. The AAP leader accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of using central agencies for political pressure.
In a social media post, Arora said he had learned about the matter through news reports. He insisted that his public life had always remained transparent and lawful.
Arora said he would not be intimidated by what he described as “false propaganda”. He maintained that he had done nothing wrong and would continue to fight politically motivated attacks.
The ED investigation is still ongoing.