News Brief
After Seizure Of Rs 34.50 Crore Cash, ED Arrests Jharkhand Congress Minister's Secretary, His Domestic Help
Bhuvan Krishna
May 07, 2024, 02:47 PM | Updated 02:47 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Sanjiv Lal, the personal secretary of Jharkhand Congress Minister Alamgir Alam, along with Lal's domestic help, following raids at various locations on Monday (6 May).
The raids led to the seizure of approximately Rs 34.50 crore in cash, according to agency sources.
"We arrested PS Sanjiv Lal and his domestic help Jahangir Alam late on Monday night. We will be taking them on remand and questioning them about the source of the funds. We have also seized certain incriminating documents, such as a list of transfer posting requests and the ED's letter last year to the chief secretary regarding action against Virendra Ram. We are currently analysing these documents," said a source within the central agency.
These searches are part of a money laundering case against former chief engineer Virendra Kumar Ram of the state Rural Development Department, who was arrested by the ED last year.
Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam distanced himself from the matter, stating that he was unaware of the ED action.
"I don’t know what is being said about it, but the PS is a government officer and we keep such experienced individuals. Sanjiv Lal has previously served as PS to other ministers," he commented.
During an election rally in Andhra Pradesh's Vemagiri on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referenced the ED raids.
"Why is it that those close to the Congress's first family are the ones from whom large amounts of cash are recovered? Was the seized cash intended for distribution somewhere? Has the Congress's first family amassed warehouses of black money? The country wants to know from Congress's shehzada," he remarked, taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi.
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.
The party suggested that the timing of the ED action, just ahead of Rahul Gandhi's visit to the state for a rally on Tuesday, was deliberate.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Bhuvan Krishna is Staff Writer at Swarajya.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.