Pioneer in short

Punjab Minister sent to ED custody

A special PMLA court in Gurugram on Sunday remanded Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora to seven days’ Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in a Rs 100-crore GST fraud-linked money laundering case, saying the allegations against him were “very serious” and custodial interrogation was needed to trace the money trail. Arora, a senior Aam Aadmi Party leader, was arrested from his Chandigarh residence on Saturday following ED raids. The agency alleged that Gurugram-based Hampton Sky Realty Ltd, in which Arora was a director and shareholder, used shell firms and fake invoices to claim fraudulent GST refunds through bogus mobile phone exports. The ED told the court that the company generated Rs 102.5 crore in proceeds of crime through forged documents, fake purchases and illicit financial transactions.

It also alleged that several shell entities provided “accommodation entries” to the firm. Arora’s counsel termed the case “false and frivolous”, claiming there was no prima facie evidence linking him to the alleged offence. HSRL denied wrongdoing and said it was cooperating with authorities. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal accused the Centre of misusing central agencies against opposition leaders.