Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora Sent To ED Custody For Seven Days In Money Laundering Case
A Gurugram court has granted the Enforcement Directorate seven days’ custody of Punjab Minister and businessman Sanjeev Arora in connection with an alleged money laundering case linked to suspicious overseas remittances and fake mobile phone exports.
Arora was produced before the court late Friday night after being arrested by the ED. While the agency sought 10 days of custodial interrogation, the court allowed seven days of custody.
According to the ED, searches were conducted at premises linked to Hampton Sky Realty Pvt Ltd following inputs regarding suspicious inward remittances allegedly received through bogus export transactions.
Investigators claimed that during the financial year 2023-24, the company reported mobile phone sales worth nearly Rs 157 crore to several domestic and foreign entities. Out of this amount, around Rs 102 crore was allegedly routed to two UAE-based firms identified as Fortbell Telecom and Dragon Telecom.
The agency alleged that several supplier firms involved in the transactions were either shell companies, non-existent entities or financially incapable of conducting such large-scale business operations. These firms allegedly issued fake invoices without actual supply of goods.
The ED also informed the court that many entities linked to the transactions were non-filers of Income Tax Returns and had GST registrations suspended shortly after beginning operations.
During the investigation, officials reportedly found links between individuals associated with Fortbell Gadget Pvt Ltd and Hampton Sky Realty Pvt Ltd.
The court observed that the allegations against Arora were serious and noted that the ED needed to trace the money trail, identify the roles of all accused persons and uncover the alleged modus operandi behind the generation and circulation of proceeds of crime.
The court further directed the agency to ensure Arora undergoes medical examination before custodial interrogation and allowed his lawyer to meet him daily during the custody period.
