Days after Rs 32-cr seizure, Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam held

Ranchi, May 15

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Congress leader and Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam here in a money laundering case days after a massive cash seizure from the premises linked to his aide, official sources said.

The 70-year-old leader was taken into custody at the agency’s zonal office here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He was interrogated for about six hours on the second day of questioning, the sources said.

He was grilled by the federal agency on Tuesday for over nine hours and his statement was also recorded. Alam represents the Pakur seat in the Jharkhand Assembly and is also the Parliamentary Affairs Minister.

He came under the ED radar following the recent arrest of his personal secretary and state administrative service officer Sanjeev Kumar Lal (52) and the latter’s domestic help Jahangir Alam (42), who were raided by the agency on May 6. The agency seized more than Rs 32 crore cash from a flat linked to them.

The minister had earlier told reporters that he was a “law-abiding” citizen as he sought to distance himself from the activities of Lal, saying he had worked with other ministers of the state government too in the past. The money laundering investigation pertains to alleged irregularities and payment of “bribes” in the state rural development department.

While seeking the remand of the two arrested persons, the ED had informed a special PMLA court here that Lal collected “commission” on the behalf of some influential people and that government officials from “top to bottom” in the rural department were involved in the alleged illegal cash payments nexus.