ED arrests Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora in fresh PMLA case: AAP hits out at Centre
GST
Dated:- 9-5-2026
PTI
New Delhi/Chandigarh, May 9 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday arrested Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora following raids in connection with an alleged Rs 100 crore GST fraud-related money laundering case involving certain entities linked to him, officials said.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the ED action, accusing the Centre of using agencies like the ED and the CBI as “weapons” to scare opposition leaders into joining the BJP. But the BJP hit back, saying AAP supremo and his party are rattled as they know that “their days are numbered in Punjab”.
According to officials, Arora (62) was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following early morning raids at his official residence in Chandigarh. They claimed that the minister was “non-cooperative” during the investi
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he civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), and on April 19 it provisionally attached movable and immovable assets of Hampton Sky Realty Ltd, its director Arora, and entities linked to him for alleged FEMA violation through bogus sales and exports to the tune of Rs 157.12 crore.
Arora was in June 2025 elected as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from the Ludhiana West assembly seat. He was serving as a Rajya Sabha MP when the party leadership selected him to contest the assembly by-election following the death of the sitting MLA.
The latest probe (under the PMLA) pertains to “fake” GST purchases of mobile phones worth more than Rs 100 crore and subsequent exports to “round trip” alleged illegitimate funds from Dubai to India, according to the ED.
The ED alleged that multiple fake GST purchase invoices were acquired from “non-existing” firms in Delhi to falsely claim Input Tax Credit (ITC).
Arora was already under investigation in a money laundering case,
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olls early next year.
In recent weeks, the ED has taken significant actions against politically connected individuals in Punjab, which is due to go to the polls in early 2027.
In a Hindi post on X, Kejriwal alleged, “Modi ji has got daily ED raids started in Punjab soon after the Bengal polls concluded. Modi ji has coerced Punjab in the last few years and ill-treated Punjabis by different means.” Kejriwal said AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal joined the BJP after raids by the ED at his premises. Arora was also raided, but did not join the BJP; so another raid has been conducted, he alleged.
The agency had raided the premises of Lovely Group promoter and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, who defected to the BJP along with six other AAP MPs.
Earlier this week, the agency conducted raids against various Punjab builders and real estate companies, as well as an alleged associate of an AAP functionary.
It also levelled allegations against Punjab AAP President and Cabinet Mini
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