Following the substantial cash seizure of more than ₹36 crore in Ranchi, Jharkhand, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Sanjiv Lal, the personal secretary to state rural development minister Alamgir Alam, and Lal’s maid Jahangir Alam on Tuesday. They appeared before the special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, which remanded them to six days of ED custody.
On Monday, the ED conducted raids at the residences of both Sanjiv Lal and Alamgir Alam in Ranchi, Jharkhand. As a result, a total cash seizure of ₹35.23 crore was recorded.
Continuing its enforcement action, the ED conducted additional searches at five locations in Ranchi on Tuesday and confiscated approximately ₹1.5 crore from a contractor identified as Rajiv Kumar Singh.
According to reports, the counting process required almost 12 hours and six counting machines to be completed. Additionally, an official communication between the ED and the state government was found along with the cash stash.
The duo was presented in a special PMLA court on Tuesday morning and was remanded to six days of ED custody. During the court proceedings, the ED stated that the secretary of the Jharkhand Minister collected commissions on tenders on behalf of “some influential people.”
The ED further alleged that officials from the rural development department, from “top to bottom,” were engaged in an illegal cash payment nexus. Alamgir Alam, aged 70, distanced himself from Lal’s activities, mentioning that Lal had previously served other ministers in the state government as well.
According to the ED’s remand document, “It is ascertained that Sanjeev Lal takes care of the collection of commission on behalf of some influential persons and plays a pivotal role in managing the tenders and collection of commission from engineers.”