May 12th 2024.
Reports from official sources in Ranchi state that Alamgir Alam, a Congress leader and the Rural Development Minister of Jharkhand, has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate for questioning in a case of money laundering. This development comes after the recent arrest of Alam's personal secretary, Sanjeev Kumar Lal, and Lal's domestic help, Jahangir Alam, for their alleged involvement in the illegal transfer of Rs 32 crore from a flat linked to them.
Alam, who is 70 years old, has been asked to appear at the ED's zonal office in Ranchi on Tuesday to provide a statement regarding the incident under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The investigation into the case focuses on possible corruption and bribery within the state's rural development department.
According to the ED, Lal had been collecting bribes on behalf of influential individuals and government officials, and it is suspected that these corrupt practices extended throughout the department's hierarchy. The total amount of cash seized by the ED in connection with this case has been reported to be Rs 36.75 crore, with additional seizures of Rs 3 crore from various locations, including Rs 10.05 lakh from Lal's residence and Rs 1.5 crore from a contractor's place last Tuesday.
Alamgir Alam has maintained that he had no knowledge of Lal's illegal activities, stating to reporters after the ED raids that he had previously worked with other state government ministers as well. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing crowds during his election campaign in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, had mentioned the "mounds of cash" that were seized by the ED. However, opposition parties have criticized this action as a targeted attack on their leaders by the central government.
The ED has revealed that the names of senior bureaucrats and politicians have surfaced in this case and are currently under investigation. The rural development ministry in Ranchi was also searched during the ED's raids, with Lal accompanying officials. This case, which dates back to September 2020, was initially reported to the anti-corruption branch of the Jharkhand Police and later by the economic offences wing of the Delhi Police in March 2023. The ED has already arrested former chief engineer of the state rural works department Veerendra Kumar Ram in connection with this case.
It is alleged by the ED that Ram had been receiving commissions of 1.5% for the allocation and execution of tenders, which were then distributed among his superiors and politicians. The agency claims that one such commission was transferred to Lal by Ram in September 2022. Over the past few years, the ED has also arrested former chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren, IAS officers Chhavi Ranjan and Pooja Singhal, as well as other politically linked individuals in various money laundering investigations in the state.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
