The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has concluded its 20-hour search operation at the residential premises of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, with the operation ending at around 3:30 AM.
The searches were conducted by the ED Headquarters Investigation Unit, Delhi, which carried out coordinated operations at multiple locations linked to institutions associated with the Lovely Group.
The agency conducted searches at Lovely Professional University in Jalandhar, Tetr College of Business, and Masters’ Union College of Business in Gurgaon. As per reports the raid is still going on at LPU and Masters Union and in total, 10 locations across Jalandhar and Gurgaon were covered during the operation.
Premises linked to Ashok Mittal were also included in the searches, as these locations are associated with the same group of institutions.
According to sources, the searches were carried out under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), with officials probing alleged violations.
The development triggered political reactions. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann alleged on social media that the action reflects the BJP’s preparation for upcoming elections, calling it a “typical Modi style” move.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal also reacted, stating that such developments signal the beginning of election preparations in Punjab and that the people of the state would respond strongly.
Notably, Ashok Mittal was recently appointed Deputy Leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha. The Enforcement Directorate has not yet issued a detailed official statement regarding the outcome of the searches.
However search operations are still ongoing at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar and Masters’ Union College of Business in Gurugram according to reports and in total around 10 locations across Jalandhar and Gurugram have been covered so far and these include premises linked to Ashok Mittal as well as offices and campuses connected to the group’s educational institutions.
Searches under FEMA
The ED is understood to be conducting the searches under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) with officials probing alleged violations related to foreign exchange transactions however no official statement detailing the exact nature of the alleged irregularities has been released yet.
Pratham Mittal’s Masters’ Union under scanner
The operation also includes searches at Tetr College of Business and Masters’ Union. Masters’ Union is run by Pratham Mittal son of Ashok Mittal and is part of the broader network of institutions linked to the Mittal family.
Officials have not yet disclosed whether any seizures have been made or if any further action will follow. The investigation remains underway with searches continuing at key institutional locations.