Court steps in as ED searches spark storm in Punjab; AAP ramps up protests

As some ED officials and security personnel were seen leaving through the rear gate in vehicles, AAP supporters moved towards the gate and resumed sloganeering. The situation escalated when some of them allegedly resorted to stone-pelting. Police personnel attempted to detain two supporters, but other party workers reportedly freed them. Later, the police detained an AAP member and brought him out of the building.

The central agency has also searched the premises of senior government officials and expanded its operation to the residence of Gurpreet Singh Saini, nephew of Punjab Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian.

When government moved the high court

The action took a political turn on Wednesday evening when ED officials broke open the locks of a government bungalow in Chandigarh, associated with AAP leader and former Delhi minister Satyendar Jain. The AAP co-in-charge for Punjab, Jain was not present when the ED team entered the premises.

The ED is examining alleged irregularities relating to land acquisition, change in land use, compensation payments and transactions involving GMADA properties. The agency is also scrutinising records related to more than 5,000 acres in Mohali and New Chandigarh, besides the role of private entities and consultants, according to officials familiar with the investigation. The ED has not publicly disclosed its findings or the material seized so far.

The prolonged searches led the state government to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court late Wednesday night. The matter was taken up in a special hearing, with proceedings continuing well past 1 am. The court subsequently appointed a senior-rank warrant officer to monitor the search and seizure operations and submit a report by 2 pm Thursday.

At around 5.15 am on Thursday, the warrant officer, accompanied by Deputy Superintendent of Police (East Chandigarh) P Abhinandan, Sector 36 Station House Officer (SHO) Charanjit Lal and Phase 8 SHO Gurmehar Singh, reached the GMADA office. After conducting an inquiry for around two hours, the team left the premises.

The legal intervention has added another layer to the confrontation. While the ED is conducting the searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, the Punjab government raised concerns before the court over the manner and duration of the operation and the alleged detention of senior officials. The high court authorised the warrant officer to visit the search sites at any time.

Elections here, ED is at work: AAP

AAP has alleged that the central agency’s action is politically motivated and linked it to the 2027 Assembly elections. The party has also claimed that despite the searches continuing for nearly three days, nothing incriminating has been found. The ED has not made a public statement confirming or rejecting the claim.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema accused the BJP-led Centre of using four agencies, the ED, CBI, Income Tax department and Election Commission as “tools” against Opposition-ruled and poll-bound states since 2014.

“This is so Deja vu for us in AAP. A case was made out against the entire AAP leadership before the 2025 polls in Delhi. Now, elections are approaching in Punjab and ED is at work. West Bengal was no different. ED ruled the roost over there ahead of Assembly elections. But people can see through them,” he said. Cheema said AAP would fight the ED action legally, on the streets, and in Parliament.