Chandigarh, Oct 16 (IANS) The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday dismissed the regular bail plea of Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjeev Arora in a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).  The order was pronounced in open court by Justice Kuldeep Tiwari. Arora had approached the High Court after his regular bail application was rejected by a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Gurugram on June 15. The AAP leader has been in custody since May 9, when the ED arrested him in connection with an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving mobile phone exports and suspected GST fraud.

The case relates to transactions involving Rs 102.5 crore in mobile phone exports by Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL), a company he previously headed. The petitioner pleaded that he was the promoter and chairman of M/s Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL). Upon assuming the office as a Cabinet Minister, he ceased to participate in the day-to-day affairs of the company.

Arora, a former Rajya Sabha MP, had argued that he was a serving Cabinet minister with deep roots in society and an unblemished public record. The minister’s plea also challenged the ED’s allegations, contending that the export transactions were genuine commercial dealings supported by invoices, GST records, customs documents and banking records. He further submitted that searches at his residence, his son’s residence and the company’s premises had yielded no incriminating material against him.

The defence argued that the case was based on documentary evidence already in the agency’s possession and that there was no likelihood of evidence tampering or witness intimidation. The ED’s investigation centres on alleged irregularities in mobile phone exports to buyers in the United Arab Emirates and suspected fraudulent claims involving GST refunds.

--IANS