The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday carried out searches at premises connected to the nephew of Aam Aadmi Party minister Hardeep Mundian in Ludhiana, marking a fresh escalation in the central agency’s scrutiny of people close to the Punjab leadership.

The raids were conducted as part of an ongoing investigation, and officials remained tight-lipped about the exact nature of the case and the documents or assets, if any, seized during the operation.

Searches in Ludhiana

Sources said ED teams fanned out across multiple locations linked to the minister’s nephew in Ludhiana in the morning and examined financial records, property documents and business dealings. The operation continued through the day under heavy security.

The agency has not yet issued an official statement detailing the predicate offence or the findings so far. Such searches typically follow a money-laundering investigation that is linked to an underlying scheduled offence registered by another agency.

Political reaction

The Aam Aadmi Party has consistently accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing central agencies to target opposition leaders and their families. Party leaders are expected to respond once the details of the case become clearer.

Opposition parties in Punjab, meanwhile, have long alleged irregularities in the functioning of the state government and have demanded accountability from the ruling AAP dispensation. The raids are likely to add fresh fuel to that political contest.

What happens next

The ED will now analyse the material collected during the searches. Depending on the findings, the agency could summon the individuals concerned for questioning or attach properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

For now, the focus remains on the minister’s nephew and the trail the agency says it is following. Khabar 24h will track further developments as the investigation unfolds.

Political observers say the timing of the raids will be keenly watched, as Punjab’s political landscape remains sharply contested between the AAP, Congress and BJP.