Punjab MLA Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra, a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was subjected to a medical examination at a Civil Hospital in Jalandhar on Monday night after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a bank fraud case.
The ED reportedly disrupted a meeting organized by the Punjab AAP MLA representing the Amargarh constituency on Monday and subsequently transported him to the ED’s office in Jalandhar. Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra is facing allegations in a 40 crore bank fraud case.
He was taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after ED officials apprehended him during a public meeting in Malerkotla. According to officials familiar with the situation, Gajjan Majra had previously ignored several summonses, which led to his detention and eventual arrest.
In May of the previous year, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at properties linked to Gajjan Majra as part of an investigation into the alleged 40 crore bank fraud. Subsequently, in September of the same year, the ED carried out raids at multiple locations associated with him in connection with a money laundering inquiry related to the alleged bank loan fraud. During these ED operations, a sum of 32 lakh in cash, as well as mobile phones and hard drives, was seized.
The CBI had registered an FIR based on a complaint from the Bank of India, Ludhiana, which implicated Gajjan Majra, Tara Corporation Ltd (subsequently renamed as Malaudh Agro Ltd) situated in Gaunspura in the Malerkotla district, and other individuals in the alleged fraud. Gajjan Majra had declared assets exceeding 19 crore with no liabilities in his election affidavit. The MLA is a well-known businessman involved in various sectors, including real estate, education, hospitality, seeds, feed industries, and agriculture, as reported by The Indian Express. Responding to the ED’s actions, Malvinder Singh Kang, AAP’s Punjab spokesperson, expressed concern about the timing and manner of the arrest. Kang argued that the incident was related to a case predating Gajjan Majra’s association with the Aam Aadmi Party and suggested that the ED’s swift actions during a public meeting raised questions about the motivation behind the ED’s actions, implying a political motive.
