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Arora, whose entire security was withdrawn by the government on May 12, allegedly used Vashisht to issue bogus notices and extort money from scores of local residents.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.
Northeast is rising under PM Modi's leadership, says Union Minister Sonowal
Speaking at the Riding Northeast Investor Summit at the Bharat Mandapam held in New Delhi, the Union Minister emphasised that a "New Bharat is dawning with a resurgent Northeast at its heart".
Tripura govt developing dedicated infrastructure to support AI, 5G network: CM Saha
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday announced that the state government is developing dedicated infrastructure to support artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G network development.
Rising NE Investors Summit: Tripura attracts Rs 15,646 crore investment, says CM Saha
In a landmark development for Tripura’s economic landscape, the state has attracted a staggering Rs 15,646 crore in investments at the Rising North East Investors Summit-2025, held in the national capital, on Friday.
24 Maoists carrying Rs 84 lakh bounty surrender in Bijapur
As many as 24 hardcore hardcore Maoists, collectively carrying a bounty of Rs 83.50 lakh, surrendered at the district headquarters of Bijapur within forty-eight hours of elimination of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju.
India will never give in to nuclear blackmail, says EAM Jaishankar in Germany
Reaffirming that India has zero tolerance for terrorism, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Friday said that the country will never give in to nuclear blackmail and will deal with Pakistan purely bilaterally.
NF Railway to launch electric locomotive-powered trains from Tripura soon: Official
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is continuing its hectic efforts to start running the much-anticipated electric locomotive-powered trains from Tripura at the earliest, an official said on Friday.
Lorry driver died after head on collided with another lorry
In yet another road mishap, a lorry driver died after his lorry head-on collided with another lorry, which was parked along the National Highway 208B near Bachaibari in the early hours of Friday morning.
‘Rising Northeast Investor Summit’ to unlock region’s true growth potential: Industry leaders
Industry leaders on Friday hailed the Rising Northeast Investor Summit as a landmark initiative that could unlock the immense economic potential of India’s northeastern region.