ED raids Punjab AAP MLA and family in land fraud case
Enforcement Directorate officials searched seven premises in connection with alleged misappropriation of public funds in Moga district.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at seven premises in Punjab on Wednesday linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora and her family. According to reports from Deccan Chronicle and The Tribune, the investigation involves the alleged illegal acquisition of government land and the misuse of public funds.
The searches, which began around 6 am, included the residences of Arora, who represents Moga and leads the AAP women's wing in Punjab, as well as those of her family, associates, and others. The teams also searched a de-addiction hospital connected to her husband, Dr Rakesh Arora.
The ED investigation, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), follows a June 2024 FIR filed by the Punjab Police. The police case alleges that land intended for National Highway 754A was improperly recorded and that compensation was incorrectly paid out in Moga district.
The Tribune reported that the original FIR was filed following a complaint from the Moga Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) office. It named a patwari, Navdeep Singh, and a private beneficiary, Dilkhush Kumari, but did not name the MLA or her family.
Close associates of the MLA claimed she has no involvement in the case, alleging the searches were intended to pressure her into joining other political parties. The raids took place months before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, for which the AAP has renominated Arora.