The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive searches on Friday morning at several locations linked to Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora and his business associates in a major crackdown.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive searches on Friday morning at several locations linked to Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora and his business associates in a major crackdown. The raids, which began around 7:00 AM, covered at least 13 locations across Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, and Gurugram.
Teams from the central agency, accompanied by central security forces, arrived at Minister Arora’s residence (House No. 331) in the Gurdev Nagar area of Ludhiana early Friday morning. While the Minister was reportedly not at home during the start of the raid, security forces cordoned off the premises, restricting all entry and exit.
Simultaneous raids were conducted at the properties of real estate developers Hemant Sood and Chandra Shekhar Agarwal in Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Sood is the Director of Hampton Homes and a known close associate of Arora, while Agarwal is a business partner in several real estate ventures.
Allegations of Land Misuse
While the ED has not yet released an official statement, sources suggest the investigation pertains to a land deal involving Hampton Homes. The agency is reportedly probing allegations that industrial land was illegally converted into residential property through a fraudulent Change of Land Use (CLU) process, bypassing established regulations.
The raids have triggered a sharp political backlash from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Arvind Kejriwal, AAP National Convener, condemned the action as “cheap politics for power,” questioning why the agency has failed to recover any “black money” despite numerous raids on AAP leaders.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann termed the move “dictatorship,” alleging it is a tactic by the BJP to intimidate opponents ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Minister Sanjeev Arora issued a statement on social media, maintaining his composure: “As a responsible citizen, I will fully cooperate with the agencies. I am confident that truth will prevail.”
Conversely, BJP leader and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu took to social media to share Arora’s picture with the caption, “Everyone will be caught.”
Other Legal Developments
The report also highlighted updates on other high-profile cases in Punjab –
Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra (AAP MLA): The CBI has registered a case against the MLA and three relatives in a ₹40 crore bank fraud involving Tara Corporation. A special CBI court has granted them anticipatory bail but ordered them to surrender soon.
Sukhpal Singh Khaira (Congress MLA): Khaira appeared before a Mohali ED court regarding a money laundering case linked to a prior drug trafficking investigation. The next hearing is scheduled for April 21.
The ED’s latest action against Sanjeev Arora who was previously raided in October 2024 marks a significant escalation in the ongoing legal and political friction between the central agencies and the Punjab state government.
