Punjab Minister Sanjeev Aroras Bail Plea Denied in Money Laundering Case

Chandigarh, October 16 (Daily Kiran) : The Punjab and Haryana High Court has denied the regular bail plea of Sanjeev Arora, a cabinet minister in the Punjab government and a leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), in a money laundering case. This decision was announced by Justice Kuldeep Tiwari during a hearing on Friday.

Arora had approached the High Court after a special court in Gurugram rejected his bail application on June 15. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 9 in connection with alleged financial irregularities and GST fraud, and has been in custody since then.

The case involves Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL), where Arora previously served as chairman. The investigation focuses on transactions worth ₹102.5 crore related to mobile phone exports and alleged GST fraud.

In his plea, Arora stated that he had ceased participating in the daily operations of HSRL after assuming his role as a cabinet minister. He argued that as a current minister with deep roots in the community, his public life has been unblemished.

Challenging the ED’s allegations, Arora claimed that the transactions linked to mobile phone exports were legitimate business activities, supported by invoices, GST records, customs documents, and banking records.

His defense also pointed out that searches conducted at his residence, his son’s home, and company premises yielded no incriminating evidence against him. They argued that the case relies on documents already in the possession of the investigating agency, minimizing the risk of tampering with evidence or influencing witnesses. The ED’s investigation centers on alleged irregularities in mobile phone exports to buyers in the United Arab Emirates and purported fraudulent GST refund claims.