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Punjab: VB files chargesheet against AAP MLA Raman Arora, others
The MLA was arrested on May 23 following a month-long investigation in an alleged corruption and extortion racket being run under his patronage
Nearly two months after his arrest, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) filed a chargesheet against Aam Aadmi party (AAP) MLA from Jalandhar Central Raman Arora in a Jalandhar court on Saturday.
Over 900-page chargesheet was submitted in the additional district and sessions court in which the names and roles of Jalandhar municipal corporation (MC) building inspector Harpreet Kaur and Arora’s close aide Makhesh Makhija were also mentioned. The VB had already submitted the separate chargesheet against corporation’s assistant town planner (ATP) Sukhdev Vashisht on July 14.
MLA Arora’s name cropped up during the interrogation of Vashisht, who was arrested for demanding ₹30,000 on May 14.
The MLA was arrested on May 23 following a month-long investigation in an alleged corruption and extortion racket being run under his patronage. Arora is presently in judicial custody in Nabha jail after the court had already rejected his bail application on July 11.
Arora’s lawyer Darshan Singh Dyal said the hearing related to the case was scheduled on July 28 but the VB moved application on Saturday to specifically submit the chargesheet against Arora, Mahesh Makhija and Harpreet Kaur.
Modus operandi and victims’ testimonies
In the chargesheet, the VB has specifically mentioned the modus operandi related to how the MLA misused his political power in order to gain undue financial gains in form of corruption from local traders and owners of top commercial complexes.
“The chargesheet carried the statements of top doctors, traders, industrialists and real estate developers recorded with the bureau following Arora’s arrest. The testimonies of the victims were corroborated with all the supporting and substantive digital and documentary evidence,” said a VB official, adding that the chargesheet also carried details of his properties both legal and “benami”.
The VB had also procured the permission from the local government department to prosecute both ATB Vashisht and building inspector Harpreet Kaur and submitted the same in the court.
It was also stated in the copy of challan that Arora and other accused allegedly orchestrated the whole corruption-cum-extortion racket where the building violation notices were issued to builders and the matter was then allegedly resolved in exchange for bribes.
“The victims from whom a huge sum of money was allegedly extorted were intimidated with stringent action from the enforcement agencies like the VB and the crime investigation agency (CIA) to extract money,” an official said.
“In most of the cases, ₹10 lakh was sought initially but the settlement was made between ₹2 and ₹5 lakh.”
The VB had also named Arora’s son Rajan Arora and his daughter’s father-in-law Raju Madaan in the FIR. The Punjab and Haryana high court had recently given interim bail to Rajan and directed him to join the investigation.
‘Illegal notices served at MLA’s behest’
According to the VB probe, Arora and ATP Vashisht identified ongoing or completed commercial and residential construction projects, served them violation notices and then settled the matters after collecting bribes. In several cases, builders were directed to meet the MLA to resolve issues raised in the notices.
During a seven-hour raid on Arora’s residence on May 23, the VB seized ₹6 lakh in cash, 1.2 kg of gold ornaments and multiple incriminating documents.
The raiding teams recovered 75–80 notices allegedly issued as part of this extortion racket. “Some of these notices were not found to be even entered in the dispatch register,” VB found.
It was revealed during investigation that accused Sukhdev Vashisth was posted in Pathankot in the substantive rank of Senior Draftsman, but held the additional charge of ATP Jalandhar Municipal Corporation also. The accused had continuously been posted in Jalandhar, with small breaks in-between, from April 2022 till his arrest on May 12 on the behest of Arora.
Arora’s arrest followed similar cases involving other AAP leaders. Former health minister Vijay Singla was arrested on corruption charges in May 2022, while Bathinda Rural MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta was held in February 2023.
