New Delhi, Nov 6 Searches conducted against Punjab AAP MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora revealed her and her husband’s alleged involvement in facilitating the siphoning of compensation funds the government gave to locals whose land was acquired for constructing a highway, the Enforcement Directorate said on Friday.
The Central agency had raided the premises of 42-year-old Arora, the MLA from Moga, her husband Rakesh Arora and a hospital-cum-de-addiction centre linked to them on November 4.
The ED case, registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, stems from an FIR filed by Moga Police (Dharamkot police station) on charges of manipulating revenue records of a government land in Adhraman village, which resulted in wrong compensation disbursement of more than Rs 1 crore for the land acquired for construction of National Highway No 754A.
The probe found “fraudulent” acquisition and transfer of several government, municipal and charitable properties.
“These properties were allegedly acquired or transferred in favour of the MLA’s relatives and other associated persons through manipulation of revenue records and execution of property documents,” the ED said in a statement.
It further claimed the involvement of the MLA, her husband and other associates in facilitating the diversion and siphoning of the compensation funds.
After the raids, the MLA accused the BJP of indulging in political vendetta, alleging that the 42-hour-long ED raids at her residence included repeated pressure to join the BJP in exchange for a ministerial position.
The properties included 13 marlas of Central government land at Zira Road, 7 marlas of Punjab government land at Civil Lines, 6 marlas of Market Committee land at Railway Road, 3 kanals and 16 marlas of Municipal Corporation land at Moga Mehla Singh-3 and 52 marlas and 8 sarsahis of land belonging to the United Church of Northern India Trust Association, according to the ED.
The agency said the searches resulted in the recovery of “incriminating” documents, electronic devices and other “evidence” indicating the alleged acquisition of benami properties by the MLA and her associates.
In an interaction with reporters, Arora claimed that despite extensive searches at her residence and hospital, the ED could not recover a single penny and returned empty-handed.
Arora, who is also the president of the AAP Women’s Wing in Punjab, has been renominated by the party from the Moga seat for the Punjab Assembly elections expected early next year.
(PTI News)
