In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has apprehended Alamgir Alam, a prominent Congress leader and Jharkhand’s Rural Development Minister, in connection with a money laundering case. Official sources confirmed that the 70-year-old politician was taken into custody at the agency’s zonal office in a move under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The arrest came after an extensive six-hour interrogation session on the second consecutive day of questioning.
Alam had previously undergone rigorous questioning by the federal agency, enduring over nine hours of interrogation on the preceding day. During this period, his statement was also recorded. This development follows the recent arrest of Alam’s personal secretary, Sanjeev Kumar Lal, and Lal’s domestic aide, Jahangir Alam. Their apprehension occurred subsequent to the seizure of over Rs 32 crore in cash from a flat associated with them.
The money laundering investigation revolves around alleged irregularities and the payment of “bribes” within the state rural development department. The ED, while seeking the remand of the two previously arrested individuals, informed a special PMLA court about Lal’s purported collection of “commission” on behalf of influential figures. Furthermore, the agency asserted that government officials at various levels within the rural department are embroiled in the suspected illegal cash payments nexus.
The total amount of cash seized by the ED in connection with this case stands at approximately Rs 36.75 crore. This figure includes the seizure of about Rs 3 crore from additional locations, comprising Rs 10.05 lakh from Lal’s residence and Rs 1.5 crore from a contractor’s premises.
