Chandigarh: Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) on Friday arrested Raman Arora, ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Punjab’s Jalandhar Central constituency, in a corruption case.
Police said that the arrest is linked to a corruption case involving former assistant town planner (ATP), Jalandhar Municipal Corporation, Sukhdev Vashist, who was arrested last week.
Arora was accused of using Vashisht to issue bogus notices and extort money from some targeted individuals. The VB team also conducted a raid at Arora’s residence following his arrest. Notably, Arora’s security of 14 police personnel, had also been withdrawn about 10 days ago indicating that action was on the way against Arora.
Arora is the third AAP legislator arrested by VB in a corruption case. While Mansa MLA and former health minister Dr Vijay Singla was arrested three years ago, Bathinda rural MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta was nabbed on February 23, 2023.
According to media reports, Arora’s name had surfaced during interrogation of Vashisht, who was said to have Arora’s patronage, and who was held demanding Rs 30,000 from some person on May 14, last. Vashisht was held following several complaints from colonisers who alleged he deliberately delayed file approvals of building maps, sent threatening notices to them and sought Rs 30,000 each to clear a file from the applicants.
Vashisht had reportedly admitted having issued over 350 notices to stakeholders in the past about three years.
Reacting to the arrest, chief minister Bhagwant Mann, reiterated AAP government’s zero tolerance to corruption and said it is not a fight against any particular person but the corruption system. He held ``today’s action is once again a clear message that there is no pick and choose in this tirade against corruption. He said that mere affiliation to the ruling party or the opposition does not give license of corruption to the officer or leader adding that the government will take exemplary action against such people. Any sort of involvement in corruption cannot be tolerated and no mercy will be adopted against a person indulged in this sin’’.
Meanwhile, leaders of opposition parties Congress and BJP termed Arora’s arrest as an eyewash and held that like former health minister Dr Singla who was arrested three years ago but he continues to be Mansa MLA, Arora arrest is only a drama.
