After 8 hours of questioning, Punjab Vigilance Bureau arrests AAP legislator for corruption

Chandigarh, May 23 After eight hours of intensive questioning at his residence, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Friday arrested AAP legislator from Jalandhar Central, Raman Arora, the third AAP lawmaker to face action for corruption, over charges of fake municipal corporation notices and extortion for the past three years.

Sources said his arrest is linked to a corruption case involving former Assistant Town Planner of the Municipal Corporation of Jalandhar, Sukhdev Vashisht, who was arrested last week.

Arora, whose entire security was withdrawn by the government on May 12, allegedly used Vashisht to issue bogus notices and extort money from scores of local residents.

The Vigilance Bureau raided Arora’s house following complaints against him.

The AAP wrote on X: “(Bhagwant) Mann sarkar’s big action against corruption. No one is above the law -- not even within the AAP. Vigilance raids MLA Raman Arora over fake Nagar Nigam notices, extortion and digital scams. This is what real accountability looks like.”

Justifying his arrest, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said AAP’s founding mission is to fight corruption. “Corruption, in any form, will not be tolerated, whether it involves someone within our party or outside. Unlike previous governments that shielded the corrupt, AAP ensures accountability and justice through strict actions.”

Besides first-time lawmaker Arora, the Vigilance Bureau earlier arrested former health minister and Mansa MLA Vijay Singla on May 24, 2022, and Bathinda (Rural) AAP MLA Amit Rattan Kotfatta on February 23, 2023, both on charges of corruption.

According to the Vigilance Bureau, despite the approval of 70 per cent of building maps in the area, Assistant Town Planner Vashisht had refused to clear certain files unless bribes were paid. “A complainant reported that Vashisht demanded Rs 30,000 from an applicant to process his application,” the Vigilance Bureau spokesperson said.

“To intimidate applicants, he apparently threatened them to seal buildings during inspections. He also reportedly claimed that he was not afraid of any potential transfer,” the spokesperson added. After a preliminary investigation, the Vigilance Bureau registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against Vashisht and arrested him.

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