India: ED recovers huge amount of cash linked to Virendra Ram case in Jharkhand
India: ED recovers huge amount of cash linked to Virendra Ram case in Jharkhand
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered a huge amount of cash, on Monday (May 6) after a series of raids across multiple locations in the Indian city of Ranchi, Jharkhand in connection with the case of the state’s rural development department’s head engineer, Virendra Ram.
Watch: Cash recovered by ED
The cash was recovered from the household help of Sanjiv Lal, personal secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam. According to reports, the officials have found Rs 25 crore (nearly $3 million) of unaccounted cash.
Ram was arrested by the federal agency in February 2023 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes.
The raids were simultaneously conducted across nine locations in the state, including the capital Ranchi, of which six were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
A video of the raid shows a mountain of cash scattered across a room purportedly belonging to Lal’s household help. Alam, 70, is a Congress leader and represents the Pakur seat in the state assembly.
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Additionally, one team of the federal agency, on Monday morning, reportedly scoured the city to locate Vikas Kumar, an engineer from the road construction department.
The ED also conducted raids in the Bariatu, Morabadi, and Bodia regions of Jharkhand.
BJP reacts to raids, cash recovered
“Corruption is not ending in Jharkhand. This money during elections indicates that there is a plan to spend this money in the elections. The Election Commission should take action on this,” said Jharkhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Pratul Shahdev.
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Meanwhile, Nishikant Dubey, Member of Parliament from Jharkhand’s Godda constituency took to X and claimed that the ED has recovered over Rs 30 crore ($3.6 million) and counting is still underway.
“Today, ED took a big action against Sanjeev Lal, personal secretary of Congress Legislative Party leader and Jharkhand government’s corruption king (former Chief Minister of Jharkhand) Hemant (Soren) government minister Alamgir Alam…”
(With inputs from agencies)