The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out fresh searches on Saturday against Punjab industries minister Sanjeev Arora and several others allegedly linked to him as part of a money laundering investigation, according to officials.
Among the five locations raided were Arora's official residence in Chandigarh and the premises of a real estate company in Gurugram, Haryana, officials added.
Officials stated that the searches were conducted under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
In April, the ED had also raided Arora and entities associated with him under the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Following the earlier action, Arora had said he would fully cooperate with the investigating agencies and expressed confidence that the truth would prevail.
The Ludhiana West MLA had also faced ED raids in 2024 in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged misuse of industrial land for residential projects. At the time, he was serving as a Rajya Sabha MP.
This development comes amid ongoing scrutiny of state officials and their business dealings. The ED's investigation aims to uncover any illegal financial transactions and violations of foreign exchange regulations.
Arora, a prominent figure in Punjab politics, has maintained his innocence and pledged to cooperate with the authorities. The raids mark a significant escalation in the probe into alleged financial irregularities.
