In a key move against alleged corruption, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Raman Arora from Jalandhar Central. The arrest follows multiple raids on Arora’s residence and related premises.
At the time of reporting, the raids were still ongoing. AAP leader Sunny Ahuluwalia confirmed the arrest, underlining the Bhagwant Mann government’s zero-tolerance policy on corruption. However, senior AAP leader Baltej Pannu stated that the raids were in progress and refrained from confirming Arora’s arrest.
According to sources, Arora has long faced accusations of demanding and accepting bribes from the public. The case gained traction after Assistant Town Planner Sukhdev Vashisht was caught accepting a ₹30,000 bribe. Investigators believe Vashisht operated under Arora’s instructions, issuing notices for unauthorized construction and settling them through bribes, either directly or via Arora.
Interestingly, just a week before the arrest, the state government withdrew Arora’s security detail, which reportedly included 14 personnel. Police officials later claimed that no official security was assigned to him. On the issue, Arora said, *“It was the prerogative of the government.”*
Despite the developments, Arora had been actively traveling to Chandigarh and Delhi to meet senior party leaders and remained engaged in constituency-level political activities.
