Team News Riveting
Ranchi, May 15
After question on the second consecutive day, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Jharkhand’s Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam in a money laundering case.
The senior Congress leader was first summoned by the central agency on Tuesday after it seized around Rs 36.75 crore from his aides. The ED later arrested Alam’s personal secretary and state administrative service officer Sanjeev Kumar Lal (52) and the latter’s domestic help Jahangir Alam (42). The agency had seized more than Rs 32 crore cash from a flat linked to them.
While about Rs 3 crore was seized from other locations including Rs 10.05 lakh from Lal’s place, Rs 1.5 crore from a contractor’s place.
The 70-year-old Jharkhand minister was interrogated for over nine hours yesterday by the agency in connection with tender scams. He was released in the night and was summoned again on Wednesday.
The investigation pertains to alleged irregularities and payment of “bribes” in the state rural development department. The ED had earlier informed a special PMLA court here that Lal collected “commission” on behalf of some influential people and that government officials from “top to bottom” in the rural department are involved in the alleged illegal cash payments nexus.
