JALANDHAR: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) continued its search on Wednesday at the offices and home of Amit Bajaj, a local contractor linked to municipal projects and known to have ties with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Bajaj is reportedly involved in various projects for the Jalandhar municipal corporation and other government initiatives.
The searches are part of an ongoing money laundering investigation related to Hampton Sky Realty Ltd, a firm allegedly associated with former Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora and his family, with Arora having been arrested by the ED last month.
According to ED sources, operations were conducted at six locations across Ludhiana and Jalandhar in Punjab, as well as Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and the Delhi-Noida area, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). These included residential and commercial properties linked to individuals and entities under scrutiny.
The raids have sparked political controversy, with the AAP accusing central agencies of targeting traders in Punjab, while the BJP claims the incumbent party is attempting to communalize the situation.
Former Punjab BJP president Ashwani Sharma, commenting on statements made by AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, warned on social media: “Do not ignite a fire you cannot extinguish. Cease this divisive politics that seeks to fracture Punjab along religious lines. Punjab adheres to the divine teachings of our revered Gurus: recognize all mankind as one.”
