Gurugram: Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora was produced before a Gurugram court late Saturday night after his arrest in the alleged money laundering and fake export case linked to transactions worth Rs 157.12 crore.
The court proceedings continued for more than three hours before the court finally granted seven days of Enforcement Directorate (ED) remand to the Punjab minister.
Hearing Began Around 11:20 PM
According to reports, arguments in the courtroom started around 11:20 PM and continued late into the night. The courtroom witnessed intense exchanges as both the ED and defence teams presented their arguments before the judge.
ED Demanded 10-Day Custody
Senior lawyers representing the Enforcement Directorate sought 10 days of custodial remand of Sanjeev Arora. The ED argued that the agency needed extended custody to trace the alleged money trail, verify financial documents and investigate the suspected fake export and shell company network linked to the case.
During the hearing, the ED lawyers also detailed the allegations against the minister and informed the court about the ongoing investigation related to alleged money laundering activities.
Defence Called Allegations Politically Motivated
Meanwhile, Sanjeev Arora’s legal team strongly opposed the ED’s demand for remand and rejected all allegations made by the agency.
The defence counsel argued before the court that the allegations were baseless and politically motivated. The lawyers also claimed that no proper investigation had been conducted before the arrest and maintained that the minister was willing to cooperate fully with investigators.
Court Granted 7-Day ED Remand
After hearing arguments from both sides, the Gurugram court granted seven days of ED remand to Sanjeev Arora instead of the 10 days sought by the agency.
The Punjab minister will now remain in ED custody till May 16 and will be produced before the court again after completion of the remand period. During this time, the ED is expected to conduct detailed questioning related to the alleged multi-crore fake export transactions and money laundering probe.