In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) detained Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Punjab, in connection with an alleged ₹40 crore bank fraud case. The probe agency interrupted a meeting held by the legislator from the Amargarh constituency and took him to the ED’s Jalandhar office.
Officials from the ED confirmed that Jaswant Singh Gajjanmajra, a Punjab AAP MLA, has been arrested in connection with an alleged bank fraud-linked money laundering case. His arrest was made under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after he was detained by agency officials during a public meeting in Malerkotla.
According to reports, Gajjanmajra had previously skipped multiple summons issued by the ED, which eventually led to his detention and subsequent arrest following questioning. The case has its origins in a bank fraud of ₹40 crore, which the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigated.
In May of the previous year, the CBI conducted raids on properties associated with Gajjanmajra in connection with the alleged bank fraud case. The ED also conducted raids in September of the same year as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the bank loan fraud, during which they seized ₹32 lakh in cash, mobile phones, and hard drives.
Gajjanmajra is a well-known businessman in the area, involved in real estate, education, hospitality, seeds, feed industries, and agriculture. In his poll affidavit, he declared assets worth over ₹19 crore with no liabilities.
Malvinder Singh Kang, AAP’s Punjab spokesperson, raised concerns about the manner in which Gajjanmajra was detained from a public meeting by the ED. Kang stated, “The way he has been picked up from a public meeting by the ED shows the BJP’s politics of defaming the party.” He also noted that this was an older case that predated Gajjanmajra’s association with the Aam Aadmi Party and questioned the ED’s swift action during a public event.
