Chandigarh, October 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday dismissed the regular bail plea of Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjeev Arora in a money laundering case being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Justice Kuldeep Tiwari pronounced the order in open court. Arora had moved the High Court after a special court under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Gurugram rejected his bail application on June 15.
The minister has been in custody since May 9, when the ED arrested him over alleged financial irregularities linked to mobile phone exports and suspected Goods and Services Tax (GST) fraud.
The investigation centres on transactions involving mobile phone exports worth Rs 102.5 crore by Hampton Sky Realty Limited (HSRL), a company Arora previously headed as promoter and chairman.
In his bail plea, Arora submitted that he had stopped participating in the company’s day-to-day affairs after taking charge as a Cabinet minister. He also cited his public standing and argued that he had an unblemished record.
Challenging the ED’s allegations, the minister maintained that the export transactions were genuine commercial dealings backed by invoices, GST records, customs documents and banking records. He further claimed that searches at his residence, his son’s residence and the company’s premises had yielded no incriminating material against him.
The defence also argued that the case rested on documentary evidence already available with the investigating agency, leaving no likelihood of evidence tampering or witness intimidation.
The ED’s probe focuses on alleged irregularities in mobile phone exports to buyers in the United Arab Emirates and suspected fraudulent claims involving GST refunds.
The High Court’s dismissal means Arora’s plea for regular bail has been rejected at this stage of the proceedings.
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