The agency had conducted searches on November 4 at premises linked to the 42-year-old Moga MLA: Reports
NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Punjab AAP MLA Amandeep Kaur Arora for questioning on November 26 in a money-laundering case linked to alleged fraudulent land transfers and misappropriation of government compensation funds.
The agency had conducted searches on November 4 at premises linked to the 42-year-old Moga MLA, her husband Rakesh Arora and a hospital-cum-de-addiction centre associated with them.
Officials said the MLA, an MBBS doctor, had been asked to appear before the ED in Chandigarh on November 26, while her husband had been summoned for November 25. Their statements will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED alleged that the MLA and her husband were involved in facilitating the diversion of compensation funds paid for land acquired for a national highway project.
The investigation stems from an FIR registered at Dharamkot police station in Moga over alleged manipulation of revenue records relating to government land in Adhraman village. The alleged fraud resulted in the wrongful disbursement of more than Rs 1 crore as compensation for land acquired for National Highway 754A.
According to the ED, its investigation uncovered the 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 agency said.
The ED further alleged that the MLA, her husband and associates facilitated the diversion and siphoning off of compensation funds.
The agency said the searches yielded incriminating documents and electronic devices indicating the alleged acquisition of benami properties by the MLA and her associates.
Arora, however, accused the BJP of political vendetta, alleging that during the searches at her residence, she was repeatedly pressured to join the party in exchange for a ministerial position.
She claimed that despite extensive searches at her residence and hospital, the ED had failed to recover any money and returned empty-handed.
Arora, who heads the Punjab AAP women's wing, has been renominated by the party from Moga for the Assembly elections due next year.
