After AAP's Ashok Mittal, Probe Agency Raids Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora's Premises

On Thursday, the ED had also raided the premises of Ashok Mittal, the AAP's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha. With the latest action against Sanjeev Arora, political tensions between the AAP and the BJP have further intensified.

17 Apr 2026, 08:20 · www.ndtv.com

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Enforcement Directorate searched Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora's properties in a FEMA case
Raids spanned 13 locations in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh targeting Arora and associates
Investigation focuses on alleged financial irregularities in Arora's real estate firm Hampton Sky

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at the residence of Punjab Cabinet Minister and MLA Sanjeev Arora as part of an ongoing investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The action comes a day after similar raids were carried out at the premises of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal.

Searches Across Punjab, Haryana And Chandigarh

According to officials, the ED began searches early Friday at a total of 13 locations linked to Sanjeev Arora, his family members and business associates. The raids covered premises in Haryana's Gurugram, Chandigarh, and Punjab's Ludhiana and Jalandhar, news agency ANI reported.

The searches included the residences and offices of Sanjeev Arora, his son Kavya Arora, and his two business partners, Hemanth Sood of Ludhiana and Chandrasekhar Aggarwal of Jalandhar.

An ED team arrived at Arora's Ludhiana residence in the morning, with central police forces deployed outside the premises.

Links To Real Estate Company

Officials said Arora is the promoter of Hampton Sky Realty Ltd, a company involved in large-scale real estate and infrastructure projects in Punjab. His son, Kavya Arora, who currently serves as the firm's managing director, is also under the scanner, with searches conducted at his premises.

Investigators are examining alleged financial irregularities linked to the company. These include illegal land-use changes, inflated and fraudulent sales bookings to influence share prices, insider trading, and the alleged round-tripping of funds from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ANI reported.

In a post on X, Sanjeev Arora acknowledged the action by the agency and said he would cooperate fully.

"An action by the Enforcement Directorate took place at my premises. As a responsible citizen, I will fully cooperate with the agencies and I am confident that the truth will prevail," he said.

AAP Leadership Reacts

The raid has drawn sharp reactions from AAP leaders, who have alleged political targeting by the Centre.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said this was the second ED raid on an AAP leader within three days. In a post on X, he questioned the outcome of such raids and accused the BJP of using central agencies for political purposes.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also criticised the ED action while speaking to the media after a Cabinet meeting. He stated that while India is often hailed as a great democracy, democracy itself has been under attack for some time now. He argued that non-BJP governments are being harassed, with the AAP specifically being targeted.

Mann suggested that the BJP operates on the premise that it can tolerate the Congress party, but will not allow the emergence of any "third force", a strategy evident in Delhi, where AAP leaders have been jailed and cases registered against them.

He further remarked that just a few days ago, AAP Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal was raided, and now an ED raid is underway at Minister Sanjeev Arora's home, implying that he, too, has effectively been "tainted" today.

Mann asserted that this marks the beginning of the BJP's election preparations, noting that the party is struggling to find 117 suitable candidates. He cited the example of Bengal, where the BJP orchestrated the transfer of all senior officials, from the DGP downwards, thereby ensuring that all key departments capable of instilling fear are now controlled by their own appointees.

AAP's National Media In-charge, Anurag Dhanda, said the ED had conducted two raids against the party in Punjab in just three days. In a post on X, he accused PM Narendra Modi's government of "crossing all limits of shamelessness" and said that they have "effectively declared a dictatorship."

On Thursday, the ED had also raided the premises of Ashok Mittal, the AAP's Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha. With the latest action against Sanjeev Arora, political tensions between the AAP and the BJP have further intensified.

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