ED Raids Punjab Minister's Houses Over Alleged Financial Misconduct

The Enforcement Directorate conducted extensive searches at the residences of Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora, his son, and business partners as part of a probe into financial irregularities. Authorities are examining allegations of money laundering, insider trading, and illegal real estate transactions linked to Arora's firm Hampton Sky Realty Ltd.

On Friday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into financial misconduct by conducting searches at multiple properties linked to Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora. Locations in Haryana, Chandigarh, and Punjab, including the minister's residence, his son Kavya Arora's premises, and business associates' addresses, were targeted.

Arora, founder of Hampton Sky Realty Ltd, a real estate and infrastructure development company, is under scrutiny for numerous financial discrepancies. These include illicit land conversions, fraudulent sales practices, and insider trading. The ED is investigating suspected malpractices involving funds from the UAE, implicating his son and business associates.

Among those linked to the investigation is Hemanth Sood, accused of aiding in fund round-tripping and money laundering through his firm, Findoc Finvest Private Limited. Another associate, Chandra Sekhar Aggarwal, allegedly used his background in illegal betting to facilitate hawala transactions. Authorities allege Arora used his political clout to shield betting operators, convert unregistered funds into legitimate investments, and is suspected of falsifying export bills and purchases.

(With inputs from agencies.)