Punjab Minister Sanjiv Arora Arrested by ED in ₹157 Crore Money Laundering Case, Brought to Gurugram Court at Midnight
Punjab AAP minister Sanjiv Arora arrested by Enforcement Directorate in ₹157 crore money laundering case involving fake mobile exports to Dubai. Midnight hearing in Gurugram court.
Punjab AAP minister Sanjiv Arora was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a ₹157 crore money laundering case. He was produced before a Gurugram court in the middle of the night, marking the first such midnight court hearing in the city’s history.
Punjab minister, ED arrest, money laundering, Sanjiv Arora, AAP, Gurugram court, fake exports, Dubai, GST fraud, Punjab politics
Gurugram Court Holds First Midnight Hearing in History
For the first time in Gurugram’s history, a court was convened in the middle of the night. This unusual hearing was held for Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Sanjiv Arora, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.
Arrest and Interrogation Details
The ED arrested minister Sanjiv Arora from his government accommodation in Sector 2, Chandigarh, on Saturday morning. Following nearly 10 hours of interrogation at the ED office in Chandigarh, he was taken to Gurugram and produced before the court late Saturday night.
Alleged ₹157 Crore Money Laundering Scheme
According to the ED, Arora is accused of orchestrating a ₹157.12 crore money laundering operation through his companies. The alleged scheme involved fake mobile phone sales and exports to Dubai. The investigation revealed that while paperwork showed exports worth ₹157 crore to Dubai with a transaction of approximately ₹102 crore, no actual goods were exported. Instead, this was a money transfer scheme disguised as legitimate trade.
FRaudulent GST Claims and Tax Evasion
The ED investigation uncovered that fake GST bills were created to facilitate the money transfers. These fraudulent transactions were executed through shell companies. Additionally, the accused allegedly used fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) and claimed GST refunds and duty drawbacks by obtaining fake GST purchase bills from non-existent firms in Delhi.
The scheme allegedly caused losses to government exchequer while enabling personal financial gains.
April FIR and Accused
An FIR was registered on 18 April at the Udyog Vihar police station in Gurugram against the minister and two companies, with a total of seven individuals named in the case.
Lawyer’s Allegations
Sanjiv Arora’s lawyer, Arjun, told media that the ED has not provided a copy of the FIR despite the arrest. He alleged that the ED acted without proper investigation and evidence, claiming his client has committed no wrongdoing.
Court Orders 7-Day Custody
The Gurugram court heard arguments for about three hours before ordering 7-day custody for the minister. The ED had requested 10-day custody. Arora is scheduled to be produced again in court on 16 May.
