Sanjeev Arora ED Raid, Sajeev Arora ED Raid Update: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on October 9, 2024, confirmed that its team conducted multiple raids in Punjab including in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Chandigarh, Delhi and Gurgaon. On October 7, 2024, ED raided AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora's house and offices in multiple locations. The Central Agency also raided Hemant Sood and Chander Shekhar Aggarwal's residences and offices. While sources in the known development suggested that ED is conducting raids in money laundering case, the agency did not issue any official statement.
Finally, on October 9, 2024, ED took to its X handle and wrote, "ED, Jalandhar has carried out search operations on 07.10.2024 at 17 different business and residential premises related to M/s Hampton Sky Reality Erstwhile Ritesh Properties Industries Limited (RPIL) and its Directors/partners Sanjeev Arora, Hemant Sood and Chander Shekhar Aggarwal; and that of M/s Royal Industries Ltd. (RIL), its Directors Gurmeet Singh and Pardeep Kumar Aggarwal across state of Punjab covering districts of Ludhiana and Jalandhar & Chandigarh, Delhi and Gurgaon. During the search operations, various incriminating documents, mobile phones and digital devices were found and seized."
For those who are unaware, apart from being a Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjeev Arora is a Ludhiana-based industrialist who owns a real estate and hosiery business. MP Arora also runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust in Ludhiana. AAP nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in 2022.
Talking about Hemant Sood, he is said to be former Punjab Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu's close aide and financier. It is said that after Bharat Bhushan Ashu's name came up in the transport tender scam, ED investigated the matter. After that, many foreign transactions came to light before ED.
Hemant Sood's name has also been linked apart from many others in the Rs 15,000 crore Mahadev App Betting App Scam Case. To be precise, an FIR was registered against 32 high-profile businessmen including 5 from Punjab who were running an alleged illegal gambling and match-fixing racket, causing a loss of Rs 15,000 crore to the Centre, besides the players.