The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged the involvement of Moga Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Dr Amandeep Kaur Arora and her associates in the fraudulent acquisition of seven land parcels belonging to government departments and a church society in Moga.
In a statement issued on Friday, the central agency said the properties were allegedly acquired or transferred in the names of the MLA’s relatives and other associated persons through manipulation of revenue records and execution of property documents.
The identified properties include 13 marlas of central government land on Zira Road, seven marlas of Punjab government land at Civil Lines, six marlas of market committee land on Railway Road and three kanals and 16 marlas of municipal land at Moga Mehla Singh-3.
Investigators are also examining transactions involving more than 52 marlas of land belonging to the United Church of Northern India Trust Association.
Teams from the ED’s Chandigarh zonal office conducted searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), beginning Wednesday morning and continuing for nearly 36 hours.
According to the agency, the searches resulted in the recovery of incriminating documents, electronic devices and other material allegedly indicating the acquisition of benami properties by the MLA and her associates. The recovered material is being examined as part of the ongoing investigation, the statement said.
{{/usCountry}}According to the agency, the searches resulted in the recovery of incriminating documents, electronic devices and other material allegedly indicating the acquisition of benami properties by the MLA and her associates. The recovered material is being examined as part of the ongoing investigation, the statement said.
{{/usCountry}}The ED said the probe originated from a Punjab Police case involving alleged manipulation of revenue records and wrongful disbursement of ₹1.01 crore in compensation for government land acquired for National Highway 754A in Moga district.
The original case was registered at Dharamkot police station against revenue official Navdeep Singh, and a woman migrant labourer, Dilkhush Kumari, and others over alleged irregularities involving land in Adhraman village. Punjab Police have filed a chargesheet against Navdeep Singh, the agency said.
According to investigators, the compensation amount was deposited into Kumari’s bank account, which was subsequently frozen by the bank. The ED further alleged that the MLA, her husband and other associates were involved in facilitating the diversion and siphoning off of the funds.
Reacting to the searches, Arora alleged that the ED’s action was a pressure tactic by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to force her to join the party ahead of the 2027 Punjab assembly elections. She asserted that she would remain loyal to AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and the party’s policies.
An MBBS graduate and president of the AAP’s Punjab women’s wing, Arora has been renominated by the party from Moga for the 2027 assembly elections.
BJP misusing central agencies to intimidate Oppn: Cheema
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), income tax department and the Election Commission to intimidate opposition leaders ahead of elections.
Referring to the ED raids at multiple locations linked to Moga MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora, Cheema alleged that the BJP was trying to engineer defections by luring AAP legislators with ministerial positions and Rajya Sabha membership, but Punjab’s leaders refused to bow to such inducements.
“They have developed a pattern of misusing central agencies whenever elections approach in a state,” he claimed at a press conference here.
Condemning the BJP’s politics, Cheema said the people of Punjab would give a fitting response to every attempt to weaken democracy, destabilise opposition parties and undermine the people’s mandate. The ED had raided seven locations, including Arora’s residence in Moga, in a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged fraudulent acquisition of government land and misuse of public funds.