High Court Issues Notice To ED On Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora's Bail Plea In Alleged Money Laundering Case

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today sought response from Enforcement Directorate (ED) on a bail plea filed by AAP leader and Punjab's cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora, arrested in connection with a Rs 100-crore GST fraud linked to a company he previously headed.

Arora had earlier approached the High Court challenging his arrest under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) and sought quashing of the arrest, the grounds of arrest, and the remand order, alleging violation of statutory safeguards and fundamental rights.

While the challenge to arrest is scheduled for hearing tomorrow, Justice Aman Chaudhary today issued notice on his bail plea.

Sanjeev Arora, former Rajya Sabha MP (April 2022–July 2025) and erstwhile Chairman/Promoter of M/s Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL, formerly Ritesh Properties and Industries Limited), is currently in judicial custody at Bhondsi Jail, Gurugram, in connection with a money laundering probe arising out of alleged irregularities in HSRL's mobile phone export business.

Between May and October 2023, HSRL exported Apple and Samsung devices worth approximately Rs. 102.50 crore to UAE-based buyers across 43 shipments, and separately sought GST refunds and customs duty drawback on the transactions— claims that were later contested by tax authorities, with the GST refund of over Rs. 2 crore ultimately being rejected in November 2024.

The plea stated that the matter took a criminal turn after HSRL itself lodged a complaint in May 2025 against Kamal Ahmed, Azhar Haider (alias “Monty”) and others alleging fraudulent availment of Input Tax Credit through shell entities. Subsequently, in April 2026, the Enforcement Directorate carried out FEMA search operations at the residences of Arora (Ludhiana), his son Kavya Arora (Gurugram), and HSRL's office (Udyog Vihar, Gurugram), without prior notice. 

The petitioner contends no incriminating material was recovered from his residence per the panchnama, and that a related FIR was registered within 82 minutes of a complaint being filed, without independent verification, which forms the basis of a separate quashing petition pending before the High Court.

Relying on this FIR as the predicate offence, the ED registered an ECIR in May 2026, followed by a provisional attachment of HSRL's bank accounts and Arora's properties, and his eventual arrest on May 09 under Section 19 of the PMLA. 

Arora has challenged the arrest and remand as illegal, alleging that a detailed 17-page Grounds of Arrest document was furnished within roughly 35 minutes of his statement being recorded, suggesting a pre-determined decision to arrest.

His regular bail application under Section 483 BNSS read with Section 45 PMLA was rejected by the District and Sessions Judge, Gurugram, on June 15.

Title: Sanjeev Arora v. ED

Sr. Adv Puneet Bail appeared for Arora

Adv Hussain and Lokesh Narang appeared for ED