ED Raids Jharkhand Minister’s Secretary, Uncovers Large Cash Stash

ED Raids Jharkhand Minister’s Secretary, Uncovers Large Cash Stash

On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched several Ranchi locales. About the Virendra Ram case, a substantial sum of money has been retrieved from the domestic assistance of Sanjiv Lal, the minister of rural development for Jharkhand Alamgir Alam’s assistant. According to ED sources, the exact quantity of the confiscated cash, which is likely between ₹20 and ₹30 crore, is being counted. Authorities have found some valuables and cash, most of which are in denominations of ₹500, as reported. Alam, a well-known Congressman, is 70 years old and serves as the assemblyman for the Pakur seat in Jharkhand.

Video: Huge cash recovered by the ED in Ranchi

On camera, agents from the Central Investigation Bureau were seen removing bundles of cash from bags in a room. The inquiry by the ED into possible corruption in the rural development department of Jharkhand has advanced. The department’s head engineer, Virendra Ram, was taken into custody in February 2023 on suspicion of money laundering related to anomalies in the execution of government projects.

After junior engineer Suresh Prasad Verma was apprehended for taking a bribe, the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed a formal complaint in November 2019. A sizable quantity of cash was found during the ACB’s investigation in a residence owned by Verma and inhabited by his Virendra Ram-affiliated cousin, Alok Ranjan.

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In the remand notice from the ED, Ram and his accountant are charged with money laundering through fake transactions. It is said that the money was transferred into other bank accounts held by Ram and his relatives. The money that was allegedly laundered was also allegedly used to buy expensive cars and real properties in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, and New Delhi.