ED Arrests Jharkhand Congress Minister Alamgir Alam After Recovery Of Rs 35 Crore Cash In Rural Department Case

After a recovery of Rs 35 crore in cash, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Jharkhand Congress Minister Alamgir Alam on Wednesday (15 May).

The arrest comes after he was summoned by the ED on Tuesday and then questioned for 10 hours. Alam is the Rural Development Minister in the JMM-Congress government in the state.

The cash was seized from the room of his personal secretary Sanjiv Lal's domestic help. Both of them were arrested last week.

Alam had earlier distanced himself from the matter and said Sanjiv Lal was not only his personal secretary, he previously served other ministers as well.

The Jharkhand Congress had previously noted that Sanjiv Lal had also served as the personal secretary to former BJP minister C P Singh.

Lal has been Alam's personal secretary since Alam became a cabinet minister in 2019. Alam represents Pakur in the Jharkhand Assembly.

The investigation started with former chief engineer Virendra Ram, who worked at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department and was arrested last year in February.

Under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Ram's assets worth Rs 39 crore were attached as the ED considered it generated through proceeds of crime.