Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday, 9 May, following a search operation at his official residence in Chandigarh in connection with an alleged money laundering case. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State Chief Sunil Jakhar swiftly accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of shielding corruption and defending individuals allegedly involved in land-related scams.

ED Raids and Arrest

The ED conducted searches at six premises linked to Minister Arora, including his official residence in Chandigarh and five other locations. Following the operation, the agency arrested Arora and transported him to New Delhi, where a money laundering case has been registered. This marks a significant escalation in the central probe agency's investigation into alleged financial irregularities tied to Punjab's real estate and land-use sector.

BJP Allegations: Farmland Fraud and CLU Misuse

Jakhar stated that the ED action was not directed at private individuals but at those allegedly involved in grabbing farmers' land through fraudulent means. He claimed the investigations centre on cases where agricultural land was acquired at extremely low prices and later used to generate massive profits through illegal real estate activities.

The BJP leader said the issue extends beyond Minister Arora personally and also involves alleged misuse of Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions. He alleged that associates close to Cabinet Minister Aman Arora were involved in irregularities concerning 30 acres in Suntec City, Mohali, reportedly skimming nearly Rs 170 crore by undervaluing the property.

Jakhar further alleged that in Ludhiana, Minister Sanjeev Arora's firm Hampton Sky Realty misused nearly 40 acres through fraudulent CLU approvals, with land originally allotted for industrial purposes allegedly diverted for residential colonies. He argued that if no industries were ever established on the land, it should have reverted to the farmers rather than being commercially exploited for profit.

BJP Targets Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

Taking a pointed swipe at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jakhar said that if the Punjab government was truly 'kattar imandar' (staunchly honest), it would have acted against the alleged corruption itself rather than defending those involved. He accused the AAP-led Punjab leadership of portraying itself as helpless only after central agencies intervened, and alleged that Mann was attempting to shield aides by presenting them as victims.

Jakhar asked why corruption — once described by Mann as a 'cancer' — was now allegedly being protected by the same AAP government that had campaigned on an anti-corruption platform.

What Comes Next

With Arora in ED custody and the case registered in New Delhi, legal proceedings including a remand hearing before a special ED court are expected in the coming days. The arrest is likely to intensify political exchanges between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Punjab, and could prompt broader scrutiny of CLU approvals and land-use conversions across the state.