ED recovers huge cash from premises linked to Jharkhand Congress minister

Ranchi: In the tender scam in Jharkhand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted raids at approximately nine locations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Ranchi.

Sources indicate that these raids are targeted at the premises of suspended Chief Engineer Virendra Ram and his associates. Additionally, there are reports of raids being conducted at the hideouts of several politicians.

The raids are being carried out at various locations, including Cell City. The residence of the domestic servant of Sanjeev Lal, the personal secretary of Jharkhand minister Alamgir, was also searched during the operation. Substantial amounts of cash have been recovered, with the exact amount currently being tallied.

The Enforcement Directorate initiated raids at the residence of minister Alamgir Alam’s personal assistant, Sanjeev Kumar, and several others in Ranchi. Among those targeted are said to be government officials, their associates, and politicians.

A significant sum of over Rs 25 crore was seized from the residence of Jahangir Alam, reportedly employed as household help by Sanjiv Lal, the PS to Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam.

The cash was recovered from two different locations, one of which was a residence rented or purchased in the name of Lal’s household staff. It is worth noting that Virendra Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, was arrested by the ED in February 2023 in connection with a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in the implementation of certain schemes.

Ram is still in the custody, and today’s raids are believed to be an extension of the investigation into the same case. The ED team is conducting raids at a total of nine locations in Bariatu, Morhabadi, and Bodeya in the city, including the residence of Engineer Vikas Kumar in Ranchi’s Cell City.