Chandigarh/Mohali: A dramatic incident unfolded during Enforcement Directorate (ED) operation on Thursday when bags with cash were allegedly hurled from the ninth floor of a residential building near Kharar in Punjab’s Mohali, shortly after officials arrived for raids.
The raids were carried out at the residence of IT professional Nitin Gohal, who is considered close to an aide of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Morning walkers reportedly found currency notes scattered around the complex and alerted the authorities. ED officials later confiscated the bags and continued the search operation for several hours.
Apart from Kharar, ED also carried out searches at locations in Chandigarh’s Sector 16 and Patiala as part of the same operation. Raids were also conducted at Bir Devinder Singh’s premises in Mohali, who is also considered close to an AAP functionary.
Officials remained tight-lipped about the nature of the probe, though sources indicated that the raids were linked to alleged financial irregularities.
While addressing the media in Amritsar, Mann denied any connection with the individuals being searched by the ED. “They are in connection with someone’s old company. They can check anywhere,” he said.
In a press release, a spokesperson for the Punjab government stated, “The Enforcement Directorate (ED), a central agency, raided the home of an IT sector employee today at Western Towers Society in Kharar, Mohali, Punjab. Seeing the team approach, someone threw a bag full of cash from the ninth floor of the residential tower, which a driver already standing below picked up. However, the team noticed the incident and chased and apprehended the fleeing driver with the bag, recovering approximately Rs 2.1 million in cash. The matter is under investigation. Officials have refrained from commenting.”
The spokesperson denied claims that Bajaj had any close association with Mann’s office. “Many people come in contact with leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party. They can be photographed together, but that does not establish proximity. It is incorrect to describe him as anyone’s aide,” the spokesperson said.
Opposition reaction
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa took a swipe at the Punjab government over the ED action. In a post on X, Bajwa wrote, “A little bird told me that a central agency is conducting raids on close aides of the Punjab CM in Kharar. Whether this leads to real justice or the political ‘washing machine’ swings into action to clear all stains — only time will tell.”
The latest ED action comes amid a series of raids involving leaders and persons linked to the ruling AAP in Punjab.
Last month, the central agency conducted searches at premises linked to Punjab Cabinet minister Sanjeev Arora in Ludhiana, Chandigarh, and other locations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The agency had alleged financial irregularities, including suspected misuse of industrial land and money laundering linked to real-estate ventures associated with Arora and his business associates.
Continued scrutiny
Just days before that, ED also raided premises linked to Ashok Mittal, an AAP Rajya Sabha member who later defected to the BJP and is the founder of Lovely Professional University. Searches were conducted at educational institutions and other properties in Punjab and Haryana as part of a FEMA investigation.
AAP leaders had then termed the raids “politically motivated” and accused the Centre of using investigative agencies to target Opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
