Chandigarh, May 8
Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora came under political scrutiny after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at multiple locations in Punjab and Chandigarh, including premises linked to an alleged associate of the senior Aam Aadmi Party leader, in connection with a money laundering investigation into alleged real estate fraud on Thursday.
Reacting to media reports linking his name to the raids, Arora said he had learnt about the matter through news reports and denied any wrongdoing. “My entire life was, is and will always be above board. Not going to be bowed down by such false propagandas,” he said.
The searches were conducted as part of a probe into alleged fraudulent change-of-land-use permissions and accusations that investors were cheated in major housing projects in Mohali. The ED said it searched properties linked to the Suntec City project, its promoter Ajay Sehgal, ABS Townships, Altus Space Builders, Dhir Constructions and several associates under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
By late evening, investigators had seized nearly Rs 1 crore in cash, including Rs 21 lakh allegedly thrown from a window of a residential tower in Mohali’s Kharar area during the raids. Officials claimed the money was recovered after search teams reached the premises of two alleged middlemen, Nitin Gohal and Pritpal Singh Dhinda.
The agency alleged that the two men helped builders who had defaulted on payments to the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) and arranged “political protection” for them. Officials said documents recovered during the searches suggested interference by private individuals in government functioning in Punjab.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended the state government, saying the investigation related to a private company and had no connection with the Punjab administration. He described the raids as a routine exercise by the federal agency.
Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged on social media that individuals close to the ruling AAP leadership were linked to the case and claimed “hawala transactions” had been exposed.
According to investigators, the money laundering case stems from a Punjab Police FIR registered in 2022 alleging that forged consent letters from landowners were used to secure permissions for a large housing project in Mohali. The ED alleged that more than Rs 150 crore was collected from investors without proper sale deeds being executed.
The agency is also examining allegations linked to other developments, including the District 7 commercial complex and the La Canela residential project.
With PTI Inputs
