On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recovered huge amount of uncountable cash estimated to be between Rs 20 to 30 crore, at the home of the housekeeper of Sanjiv Lal, who is the personal secretary of Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam. This cash discovery was part of a raids which conducted at various places in Ranchi by the investigation agency that began from today morning.
The cash was being counted to determine the exact amount, using counting machines brought in for the purpose. Most of the money was in Rs 500 notes, and some jewelry has also recovered. Congress leader Alamgir Alam, aged 70, is the Rural Development Minister of Jharkhand and represents the Pakur constituency in the state assembly.
These searches are related to an ongoing investigation into a case of money laundering involving Virendra K Ram, a former chief engineer of the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, who arrested last year. The case connected to alleged irregularities in the execution of certain schemes within the department.
Virendra K Ram arrested in February 2023 by the Enforcement Directorate following multiple searches conducted in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, and other locations in Jharkhand, as well as Bihar and Delhi.
In 2019, a significant amount of cash discovered from one of Virendra K Ram’s associates. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate took over the case under the Prevention of Money Laundering (PMLA) Act.
The money laundering charges against Virendra K Ram originated from a complaint filed by the Jharkhand anti-corruption bureau (ACB).
The BJP has demanded immediate action against Alamgir Alam, insisting on rigorous questioning regarding the cash discovery. The party believes that this latest revelation reaffirms their claims about Congress’ involvement in illicit financial activities.
The BJP spokesperson emphasized the need for the Election Commission of India to address the issue of such substantial cash discoveries during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
Last December, the Income Tax department raided properties associated with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu in Odisha and Jharkhand. These raids led to the seizure of over Rs 300 crore in unaccounted cash, marking it as the “largest-ever” black money discovery by any agency in a single operation.
In addition, Pankaj Mishra, a close associate of the incarcerated former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Hemant Soren, arrested in 2022 for money laundering in connection with an illegal mining case.
