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**New Delhi/Ludhiana, April 18, 2026:** The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday carried out searches at approximately 13 premises linked to Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, his family members, and business associates as part of an ongoing investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), with elements of money laundering.
The raids targeted residential and official properties of Arora, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ludhiana West and Minister for Industries, Power, and Local Bodies. Locations searched included sites in **Ludhiana** (including Arora’s residence and offices), **Jalandhar**, **Gurgaon (Haryana)**, and **Chandigarh**. Properties connected to his son Kavya Arora, wife Sandhya Arora, and business partners such as Hemant Sood and Chandrasekhar Aggarwal were also covered.
Arora’s real estate firm, **Hampton Sky Realty Ltd** (formerly Ritesh Properties and Industries Ltd), where his son Kavya serves as Managing Director, is at the centre of the probe. The investigation examines alleged irregularities in land deals, including the misuse of industrial land allotted by the Punjab government.
### Background of the Case
This is the second round of ED action against Arora. In October 2024, the agency had raided multiple premises linked to him and his companies. At that time, the ED alleged that industrial land allotted to promote industry and employment was diverted for residential and commercial projects in violation of conditions, resulting in losses to the state exchequer and generation of “proceeds of crime.”
Current probes reportedly include:
– Alleged violations under FEMA
– Irregular change of land use
– Inflated or fraudulent sales bookings
– Possible insider trading
– Round-tripping of funds, including from the UAE
– Suspected links to illegal betting operations and related financial flows
No arrests have been reported so far in the latest operation.
### Minister’s Response
At the time of the raids, Sanjeev Arora was abroad in the Netherlands (Amsterdam) as part of the Punjab government’s official “Invest Punjab” initiative to attract foreign investment. He stated that he would fully cooperate with the ED and return as required.
### AAP’s Reaction
The Aam Aadmi Party and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly condemned the action, terming it a “political vendetta” and “murder of democracy” by the BJP-led Central government. Mann alleged that central agencies are being misused to target non-BJP governments and opposition leaders, especially as AAP continues to expand its influence. The party described the timing as suspicious, coming days after similar raids on AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal.
This marks the second ED operation against senior AAP leaders in Punjab within a week.
The Enforcement Directorate has not issued a detailed public statement beyond confirming the searches as part of an ongoing probe. Further developments will depend on the analysis of documents and materials seized during the operations.
Sanjeev Arora, a businessman-turned-politician, is considered one of the wealthier leaders in the Punjab AAP cabinet, with significant interests in real estate and infrastructure sectors.
The story is still developing, and more details are expected as the investigation progresses.
