A Jalandhar court has extended the police remand of AAP MLA Raman Arora by three days, keeping him in custody while authorities investigate a fresh extortion case and his alleged involvement in an LPG black-market racket.
Arora, representing Jalandhar Central, was arrested on September 4 after a production warrant was obtained from Nabha Jail. The new FIR, registered at Rama Mandi police station on August 23, accuses Arora of extorting Rs 30,000 per month from parking contractor Ramesh Kumar since 2022. Kumar alleges that Arora threatened to implicate him and his family in false cases if he refused to pay.
Police argue that Arora has been evasive during questioning, withholding the identities of intermediaries who allegedly collected the extorted amounts. They assert that further custodial interrogation is essential to trace the money trail and identify accomplices.
A significant development in the investigation is the alleged link between Ramesh Kumar and a black-market LPG racket. Kumar was arrested on August 24, two days after a devastating LPG tanker explosion in Mandiala village, Hoshiarpur, which resulted in seven deaths.
Investigations revealed that Kumar, along with others, was involved in siphoning LPG from tankers and selling it illegally. Jalandhar Police have coordinated with Hoshiarpur authorities to probe possible connections between Arora and the LPG black-market network.
During his remand proceedings, Arora complained of chest pain and was referred to Amritsar Medical College for evaluation. He was discharged after undergoing medical tests and returned to police custody.
This development adds to Arora's legal troubles. He had been arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on May 23 in a corruption case involving alleged collusion with a municipal official to extort builders through bogus violation notices. The Vigilance Bureau recovered Rs 6 lakh in cash, 1.2 kg of gold jewelry and incriminating documents during raids at his residence. Arora was granted bail in that case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 3.
However, his release was short-lived. The very next day, he was re-arrested in the new extortion case. Authorities are now investigating whether the alleged extortion activities are connected to the LPG black-market operations.
Backgrounder
May 23: MLA Raman Arora was arrested by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) in a corruption and extortion case involving his alleged collusion with a municipal official. VB raids on his residence turned up cash, gold, and bogus violation notices.
September 3: The Punjab and Haryana High Court granted Arora bail in the vigilance case.
September 4: Immediately after bail, Jalandhar police produced Arora under a production warrant before remand proceedings for the new extortion FIR.
August 24: An LPG tanker explosion in Hoshiarpur triggered an investigation revealing a black-market ring; complainant Ramesh Kumar is implicated, prompting cross-district coordination between police agencies.