The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out a series of raids at the campus of Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, along with multiple locations linked to the Lovely Group, owned by AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal.
According to officials, teams from the ED’s Jalandhar and Chandigarh units launched early morning searches as part of an investigation into alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The agency reportedly conducted searches without assistance from local police.
Apart from the LPU campus, the ED also searched premises associated with business entities linked to the Lovely Group, including institutions such as Tetr College of Business and Masters Union College of Business in Gurugram. Residential premises belonging to Ashok Mittal were also covered in the operation, along with other properties owned by the group, including sweets shops, automobile businesses, and a distance education centre.
Ashok Mittal, founder and chancellor of LPU, owns the university along with his brothers Ramesh Mittal and Naresh Mittal. He is among the seven Rajya Sabha MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and recently assumed the role of the party’s deputy leader in the Upper House, replacing Raghav Chadha.
Mittal’s elevation to the key parliamentary post came amid internal discussions within the party. Responding to his appointment earlier, he described the transition as routine, emphasizing that AAP encourages leadership rotation. “Raghav Chadha is our senior leader and will continue to remain so. I have taken over from him just as he took over from ND Gupta earlier,” Mittal had said.
The ED’s action has sparked a political row, with senior AAP leaders alleging that the raids are politically motivated. Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP-led central government of using investigative agencies ahead of elections. “Modi ji has started preparations for the elections in Punjab. But the people of Punjab will not tolerate this,” he said.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also echoed similar sentiments, criticizing the timing of the raids and backing his party colleague.
The ED has not yet issued a detailed public statement on the findings of the searches. The investigation remains ongoing.
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