The ED is expected to produce him before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata, where the agency counsel will seek his custody for further interrogation.
ED teams carried out searches at the premises of Jalandhar-based chartered accountant and municipal contractor Amit Bajaj, who is known to have professional links with Arora during his tenure as Local Bodies Minister.
Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the ED on May 9 from his official residence under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002.
The investigation stems from a Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) case registered after the seizure of 49.101 kilograms of methamphetamine and 40 grams of heroin in Tripura on August 21, 2025.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams searched one premises each in Delhi and Mumbai during the search operation.
ED teams searched multiple premises across Bengal, including Habra, as part of a PDS wheat diversion probe involving suppliers, distributors and alleged smuggling networks ahead of Assembly polling.
Earlier on Friday, the ED carried out coordinated searches at multiple locations linked to the Merlin Group across Kolkata. The operations, conducted under the PMLA, targeted key offices and residential premises associated with the real estate firm.
According to a senior ED official, who requested anonymity, the investigation indicates that Sushil Mohta, Saket Mohta and others created false documentation to secure ownership of multiple land parcels.
It is learnt that the action followed receipt of a complaint of money laundering in February, wherein it was stated that Mohta, his son, Saket Mohta, directors and senior officials including Dilip Chaudhary, Vikash Memani, Saurav Majumdar and Ranjan Chakraborty, along with several others were involved in the matter.
Mehbooba contended that when “attempts at EVM manipulation and voter roll tampering under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) fail, Central agencies are used as tools of intimidation”.
