Punjab AAP MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra Arrested by ED in PMLA Case

Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Amargarh, Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday in connection with a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case registered against him last year.

Gajjanmajra, 60, was taken into custody from an AAP workers’ meeting in Amargarh, Malerkotla district after he failed to respond to four summonses for questioning related to the case. He is scheduled to appear in a Mohali court later today.

The ED case against Gajjanmajra stems from a raid conducted by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on his properties in September 2022. The CBI raid was in connection with a ₹40.92-crore bank fraud case. During the raid, the CBI seized ₹16.57 lakh, 88 foreign currency notes, and incriminating documents.

Gajjanmajra is one of seven individuals and companies named as accused in the bank fraud case. The other accused include Balwant Singh, Kulwant Singh, Tejinder Singh, M/s Tara Health Foods Ltd through its directors, M/s Tara Corporation Ltd (now Malaudh Agro Ltd), as well as public servants and private individuals.

The CBI investigation was initiated after a Bank of India branch in Ludhiana raised concerns about Gajjanmajra’s firm in Gaunspura, Malerkotla. The firm, involved in foodgrain trading, had obtained loans from the bank in four installments from 2011 to 2014. The bank’s complaint alleged that the firm’s directors had concealed “hypothecated stock and diverted book debts with malicious and dishonest intent to prevent inspection by the creditor bank and hinder recovery as a secured creditor.” The bank further asserted that the loan funds had not been used for their intended purpose.