The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday carried out searches at multiple premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal in connection with an alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). According to officials, the raids were conducted across locations in Punjab, including Jalandhar and Phagwara, covering business entities associated with Mittal.
Earlier in the day, the AAP stated that ED officials were searching Mittal’s residence in Jalandhar. The central agency has not yet issued a detailed statement outlining the scope or findings of the operation. Officials indicated that the action is part of an ongoing probe under FEMA provisions.
The development has drawn attention as it comes shortly after Mittal’s appointment as the deputy leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha. He replaced party MP Raghav Chadha in the role, following a communication by the party to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat seeking a change in leadership and speaking allocation.
Who is Ashok Kumar Mittal?
Ashok Kumar Mittal, 61, is a businessman and educationist from Punjab. He is best known as the head of the Lovely Group, which runs Lovely Professional University, a private university based in Phagwara.
Mittal entered the Rajya Sabha as a representative of the Aam Aadmi Party. His elevation within the party structure has been recent, with his appointment as deputy leader in the Upper House placing him in a key parliamentary role.
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Apart from his political responsibilities, Mittal has been associated with the education sector for several years through his leadership of the Lovely Group. The group manages educational institutions and has a presence in higher education through its university.
His dual role as an educationist and politician has positioned him as a prominent figure within the party’s Punjab unit as well as in Parliament.
