The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has undertaken raids against Bharat Bhushan Ashu, former Punjab minister and Congress leader, and several others. The central agency has seized assets and deposits worth more than ₹6 crore as of Saturday, August 26, a report in PTI stated. Ashu, a former minister of food and civil supplies in the Punjab government, is currently appointed as the president of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee.

Launching the raids on August 24, the Enforcement Directorate carried out searches at 25 locations in Punjab. Apart from Bharat Bhushan Ashu, the searches also extended to Raman Balasubramanium, former chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), and other individuals. These actions were carried out under the purview of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).