ED arrests Jharkhand minister's secy, latter's domestic help after ₹35 crore cash haul

Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam's personal secretary Sanjiv Lal and the latter's domestic help have been arrested on Tuesday (May 7) by the Enforcement Directorate after a big recovery of over ₹32 crore cash from them.

According to official sources, the duo have been taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after a night of questioning.

The ED on Monday had raided a two-bedroom flat in the city that is allegedly occupied by Lal's domestic help Jehangir, as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged irregularities in the state rural development department, they said.

Am amount ₹32 crore in cash apart from ₹3 crore from some other premises that were searched by the central agency. The total cash recovery stands at ₹35.23 crore, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand rural development minister and Congress leader Alam has denied any wrongdoing on his part. 

ED's massive haul

ED officials had to take the recovered cash in steel trunks from the residence on Monday night. Nearly, eight note-counting machines and bank staff were deployed by the agency to count the exact amount of currency. The notes were largely in the ₹500 denomination. Even central paramilitary forces were used to guard the building.

The recovery that was made is linked to the ongoing investigation into the case involving Virendra K Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand rural development department.

In 2019, a lot of cash was recovered from one of Ram's subordinates. Later, the ED took over the case under the PMLA and arrested Ram in Ranchi in February 2023 in a money laundering case. They alleged alleged irregularities in implementing some government schemes.