Court Refuses Bail for AAP Leader Sanjeev Aroda Amid GST Fraud Allegations

Sanjeev Aroda, the Punjab cabinet minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader, was denied regular bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday. Justice Kuldeep Tiwari read out the verdict in an open courtroom session. The minister had sought relief after a special court in Gurgaon dismissed his bail plea on June 15. The Enforcement Directorate, which arrested Aroda on May 9, alleges his involvement in financial misconduct and a GST fraud scheme linked to Hammond Sky Realty Ltd, a company he previously headed. The case investigates export deals of mobile phones valued at 1,025 crore rupees and claims of false GST refund requests. In his bail petition, Aroda contended that he stopped participating in the daily affairs of HSRL once he took up the cabinet post, emphasizing his strong societal connections and unblemished public image. He presented documents such as invoices, GST records, customs paperwork and banking statements to demonstrate that the export transactions were legitimate business activities. The defence also pointed out that raids on Aroda’s residence, his son’s home and the company’s premises produced no illicit material. They argued that the evidence in the ED’s possession cannot be tampered with or used to influence witnesses, and that the investigation centres on alleged irregularities in shipments to UAE buyers and bogus GST refund claims.