The ED on Saturday, 9 May 2026 arrested Sanjeev Arora, the Punjab Industries Minister of the AAP government, in a large‑scale money‑laundering case. The arrest has ignited a political slugfest, with opposition parties accusing the ruling party of corruption and the ruling party questioning the motives of the raids.
Key Developments
- ED conducted raids at five locations in Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh, including Arora’s official residence and offices of Hampton Sky Realty Limited.
- The case is registered under the PMLA (2002).
- ED alleges fake GST purchases of mobile phones worth over ₹100 crore, followed by round‑trip exports to channel illicit funds from Dubai.
- Earlier, in April 2026, ED raided Arora under the FEMA, and in 2024 was investigated for misuse of industrial land for residential projects.
- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the raids as selective, noting that the ED had raided Arora’s residence three times in a year without seizing assets.
- Opposition parties — SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia, BJP president Sunil Jakhar, and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa — accused the AAP government of shielding a nexus of land, power and housing scams.
Important Facts
- Arora’s alleged GST fraud involves fake invoices for mobile phones, a classic method of inflating input tax credits.
- The alleged money trail suggests a “round‑trip” mechanism: funds