The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday arrested Punjab Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra in connection with money laundering in an alleged bank fraud case.
Reportedly, the Amargarh constituency MLA was detained by the officials while he was attending a party workers' meet in Punjab's Malerkotla district.
In May last year, the CBI had conducted raids at the premises linked to Gajjan Majra in connection with an alleged bank fraud case of Rs 40 crore.
While in September last year, the ED had conducted separate raids at several premises linked to Gajjan Majra as part of a money laundering probe linked to the alleged bank loan fraud.
The ED team had then seized Rs 32 lakh cash, some mobile phones and hard drives after its raids.
Chief spokesperson of the AAP Malwinder Singh Kang said, “I have learnt that the Amargarh MLA has been taken away for questioning by the ED. It is an old case which has been going on for the last 10 years. It started much before he joined the AAP. However, the way the ED took him from a public meeting was uncalled for. This seems to be a pressure tactic of the BJP to threaten and pressurise our MLAs.”
An FIR was registered by CBI on a complaint from the Bank of India, Ludhiana, against Gajjan Majra, Tara Corporation Ltd (renamed as Malaudh Agro Ltd) and others over the alleged fraud.
ED had conducted raids on the premises of Tara Haveli in Sangrur, Tara Convent School, Tara Golden Homes and Tara Feed Industry in Malerkotla last year.
It was pointed out that in the poll affidavit, Gajjan Majra had declared assets worth over Rs 19 crore and zero liabilities, reported The Indian Express.
Singh is a renowned businessman of the area in the real estate, education, hospitality, seeds and feed industries among others apart from being invested in agriculture.
By defeating Simranjit Singh Mann, president of SAD (Amritsar), Gajjan Majria had won the Punjab polls last year.