The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on residential and commercial properties linked to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal in Punjab on 15 April 2026. Locations in Jalandhar and Phagwara, including those belonging to the Lovely Group of institutions and businesses promoted by Mittal and his family, were among those subjected to the raids-based operation.
Officials said that the move follows an investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). ED teams conducted searches at around 8 to 10 places, including residential as well as commercial properties, according to the officials. Lovely Professional University (LPU), in addition to Lovely Autos, Lovely Sweets, and other related business premises, were among the locations targeted. Police personnel had been deployed outside the major areas during the operation.
At present, the agency has not revealed any particulars of the charges or the full extent of the investigation. The officials have said that the searches are still going on and more details will be given after the operation has been completed.
Profile of Mittal Family
Education, business and now politics. Ashok Mittal and his family have made an immense imprint in these fields. Ashok Mittal is known to have conceptualized and developed Lovely Professional University into one of largest educational institutions whereas his son Pratham Mittal recently got public attention mainly due to his association with innovation and business. Nowadays Pratham is one of the judges on the television business reality show Shark Tank India and that is why he also remains very much occupied with university-level startup initiatives.
Their family wide-ranging ventures from tertiary education to businesses and social/political activities have been, time and again, referred to as a good example of institution building in Punjab. Nevertheless, the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) crackdown has made the family a center of attention for issues unrelated to their educational and entrepreneurial work.
Coinciding Timing of a Party Appointment
The raids were conducted right after Ashok Mittal was promoted to Deputy Leader of AAP in Rajya Sabha by replacing Raghav Chadha. The change in leadership was officially communicated to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat by the party in early April 2026. Mittal, who is a Member of Parliament from Punjab, is also the founder-chancellor of Lovely Professional University, one of the largest private universities in India.
The order of events has attracted political scrutiny. AAP leaders, including Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and other ministers of the cabinet, have called the ED operation “politically motivated” and a misuse of central agencies. They have argued that such raids are tactics that aim at suppressing opposition voices. The BJP is yet to officially comment on whether the two developments are connected.
Besides, the searches have also been linked to Mittal’s family, including his son Pratham Mittal, in some reports. Pratham Mittal, who is a young entrepreneur and an investor and is also famous for his role as the judge on Shark Tank India Season 5, has taken the lead in educational and startup initiatives. Lately, he was spotted on social media involved in innovation-related activities, such as an episode revolving around campus startups. So far, there has been no official revelation regarding any family members’ direct participation in the FEMA investigation.
Background on Ashok Mittal
At 61, Ashok Kumar Mittal is one of the leading educationists as well as businessmen in Punjab. He is the founder of Lovely Professional University and has been the main driving force in the growth of this university into a large higher education institution. In 2022, he turned to politics full time and got elected as a member of Rajya Sabha from Punjab on the AAP ticket. The party considered his appointment as Deputy Leader in the Upper House a step towards strengthening the representation of leadership from Punjab.
Mittal and his family are the leaders of Lovely Group which is running several education institutions and other businesses including universities, colleges and commercial ventures in Punjab and Haryana.
Current Status
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) hasn’t initiated any formal legal action or detained anyone in the aftermath of the raids. Multiple reports pointed to a day’s long continuing searches on 15 April, with teams scrutinizing documents and records at the visited locations.
Delhi government leaders have pledged full cooperation with the investigation while also accusing the central government of a political vendetta and have urged the central government to ensure that the investigative agencies work without bias.
People and political analysts closely monitor the ongoing investigation for new developments. This turn of events has once again brought to light the nexus between politics, commerce, and education in Punjab where leading individuals usually have interests in more than one domain.
The Enforcement Directorate is yet to disclose any further information about the exact nature of the alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations.
