ED summons J’khand min after cash seizure
RANCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Jharkhand’s rural development minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam as part of its money laundering probe, nearly a week after recovering over ₹35 crore in cash from locations linked to his officer on special duty (OSD) Sanjeev Lal and the latter’s aides, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
The 70-year-old Congress leader has been asked to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the ED’s zonal office in Ranchi on May 14, an official from the agency said.
ED has already arrested Lal (52), a state administrative service officer, and his domestic help Jahangir Alam (42) in connection with the case registered by it in September 2020. The probe pertains to alleged irregularities and payment of “bribes” in the state rural development department.
On May 6, the agency raided at least six locations in Ranchi and recovered ₹35.23 crore in cash, largely from the residence of Jahangir Alam. The seizures also included ₹10.05 lakh from Lal’s house apart from ₹3 crore from the residence of a builder allegedly linked to the OSD.
While seeking the remand of Lal and his domestic help, the agency had informed a special PMLA court in Ranchi that the former collected “commission” on behalf of some influential people and government officials from “top to bottom” in the rural department are involved in the alleged bribery case, the ED official cited above said, requesting anonymity.
“Elections are going on. ED is investigating the matter.
Being the minister of the department, they can interrogate me. I don’t want to say anything about this. People are understanding everything,” minister Alam was quoted as saying by ANI.
The summons against the senior Congress leader came even as he had distanced himself from the activities of Lal, pointing out that he had earlier served with two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers of the state government too.
“Sanjiv Lal is a government employee and is my personal secretary. Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. We usually appoint personal secretaries based on experience and it is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed,” Alam had told reporters on May 6.
A Congress leader close to Alam questioned the timing of the ED summons, which came a day before the first phase of polling in the state. “The summons has been issued a day before the first phase of elections in Jharkhand and this is not fair,” the leader added.