AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora’s firm concealed facts, misused industrial land for residential project: ED

The Indian Express in its report on October 7 said that the raids at Arora’s properties were linked to the alleged misuse of the land allotted to his firm by the Punjab government for industrial purposes. Quoting an ED source, it said that the land was used to develop a luxury residential project.

ED raided Hampton Homes, a luxury apartments’ residential society developed by Arora’s firm Ritesh Properties and Industries Limited (RIPL) on Chandigarh road of Ludhiana on October 7.

The raids were held at 17 different business and residential premises related to Arora and realtors, including Ludhiana-based Hemant Sood, Pardeep Kumar Aggarwal, Gurmeet Singh and Jalandhar-based Chander Shekhar Aggarwal, who were also allegedly involved in the project, according to the ED.

“The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jalandhar, has carried out search operations on October 7 at 17 different premises related to M/s Hampton Sky Reality (erstwhile Ritesh Properties Industries Limited (RPIL)) and its directors/partners Sanjeev Arora, Hemant Sood and Chander Shekhar Aggarwal; and that of M/s Royal Industries Ltd (RIL), its directors Gurmeet Singh and Pardeep Kumar Aggarwal across state of Punjab covering districts of Ludhiana and Jalandhar and Chandigarh, Delhi and Gurgaon,” the ED said.

The action by the ED was in line with a criminal complaint registered against Arora’s RPIL in a Ludhiana court and a First Information Report (FIR) registered by Ludhiana Police against Royal Industries Limited, said the ED.

The probe agency said that it was found that Hampton Sky Reality and Royal Industries Ltd were allotted industrial lands by the Punjab Government with certain conditions with an objective to promote industries but RIL had sold the allotted land by breaching the conditions of allotment.

ED investigation further revealed that Hampton Sky Reality alienated the land use without the permission of Punjab Government, and later developed residential project and business park on it by concealing material facts at the time of seeking permission of Punjab Government for the project.

“By all these wrongful activities, M/s RPIL and M/s RIL caused loss to the Punjab government and generated huge Proceeds of Crime (POC). Further investigation is under progress,” said the ED.

Ludhiana-based Arora is the chairman cum managing director of Ritesh Properties and Industries Limited (RPIL), a company with business interests in real estate, women’s clothing and fashion industry.

The company has developed Hampton Court Business Park, a sprawling industrial park on Chandigarh Road in Ludhiana. The venture also includes a housing project offering luxury residential apartments by the name ‘Hampton Homes’.

Arora also runs the Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust in Ludhiana. The AAP nominated him to the Rajya Sabha in 2022.  While he mostly lives at his Gurgaon residence, his camp office-cum-residence in Ludhiana is housed at Hampton Homes.

In a post on X, Arora had said, “I am a law abiding citizen, am not sure about the reason for search operation, will cooperate fully with agencies and make sure all their queries are answered.”