Rs 20 Crore recovered from Jharkhand Minister's Secretary in ED raid

The Enforcement Directorate made a significant discovery on Monday, uncovering a substantial amount of "unaccounted cash" at the residence of Sanjiv Lal's house help. Sanjiv Lal serves as the personal secretary to Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam. The cash stash, estimated to be between Rs 20 to 30 crore, was found during raids conducted in multiple locations across Ranchi.

The recovered cash, mostly in Rs 500 denominations, is currently being counted to determine the exact amount. Additionally, some jewellery was also seized during the operation. Another Rs 3 crore was found in a separate location as part of the same raids.

Alamgir Alam, a 70-year-old Congress leader, holds the position of Rural Development Minister in Jharkhand and represents the Pakur seat in the state assembly.

These raids are linked to an ongoing investigation into a money laundering case involving Virendra K Ram, a former chief engineer of the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, who was arrested last year. The probe focuses on alleged irregularities in the implementation of departmental schemes.

The case against Virendra K Ram originated from a complaint filed by the Jharkhand anti-corruption bureau. The ED alleges that Ram ‘generated proceeds of crime’ through commissions from contractors in exchange for tender allotments.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded immediate action against Alamgir Alam, urging strict questioning regarding the cash discovery. They highlight a series of recent incidents involving large cash seizures, pointing fingers at alleged corruption within the Jharkhand government.

In December last year, Income Tax raids led to the seizure of over Rs 300 crore unaccounted cash linked to Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu in Jharkhand and Odisha. Similarly, Pankaj Mishra, a close associate of former CM Hemant Soren, faced arrest in 2022 for money laundering related to illegal mining.