NEW DELHI: Arrested Jharkhand minister for rural development Alamgir Alam received bribes from every contractor who was awarded work under his ministry, and the share of payoffs was 1.5% of the value of allocated work, the Enforcement Directorate alleged in its remand note while seeking custody of the minister on Wednesday. Alam was sent to six days ED custody.
The agency in its submission before a special PMLA court in Ranchi said Rs 37 crore unaccounted cash seized during its searches from the premises of Alam’s secretary and his associate were the ‘proceeds of crime’ belonging to the minister himself.The agency had last week seized Rs 32.2 crore from a flat in Ranchi and another Rs 5 crore from other premises linked to them.
“Rs 32.2 crore, which was found and seized from the flat of Jahangir Alam at Sir Syed Residency Ranchi, pertains to Alamgir Alam,” ED has told the special court in its remand note. The agency further said that Jahangir Alam collected and stored these cash at the instruction of Sanjeev Lal, secretary to the minister, who in turn was doing so on behalf of Alamgir Alam.
The ED said recoveries of several official documents along with the huge cash from the premise of Jahangir Alam establishes that Sanjeev Lal was using the flat for keeping documents/ records, cash and other belongings related to the minister.
The minister, who is also the Congress’ legislature party chief in Jharkhand, was under surveillance for more than a year after former chief engineer V K Ram was arrested last year in Feb and recorded his statement with the agency stating about the bribery. While remanding the minister in ED’s custody, the special court observed that Alam “is remanded in this case today as there was huge ill-gotten money that has been seized from locations of his associates along-with incriminating materials”.
“In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, in my considered opinion, remand of the accused sought by the I.0. is necessary and justified for a fair and complete probe of the case.”
The agency in its submission before a special PMLA court in Ranchi said Rs 37 crore unaccounted cash seized during its searches from the premises of Alam’s secretary and his associate were the ‘proceeds of crime’ belonging to the minister himself.The agency had last week seized Rs 32.2 crore from a flat in Ranchi and another Rs 5 crore from other premises linked to them.
“Rs 32.2 crore, which was found and seized from the flat of Jahangir Alam at Sir Syed Residency Ranchi, pertains to Alamgir Alam,” ED has told the special court in its remand note. The agency further said that Jahangir Alam collected and stored these cash at the instruction of Sanjeev Lal, secretary to the minister, who in turn was doing so on behalf of Alamgir Alam.
The ED said recoveries of several official documents along with the huge cash from the premise of Jahangir Alam establishes that Sanjeev Lal was using the flat for keeping documents/ records, cash and other belongings related to the minister.
The minister, who is also the Congress’ legislature party chief in Jharkhand, was under surveillance for more than a year after former chief engineer V K Ram was arrested last year in Feb and recorded his statement with the agency stating about the bribery. While remanding the minister in ED’s custody, the special court observed that Alam “is remanded in this case today as there was huge ill-gotten money that has been seized from locations of his associates along-with incriminating materials”.
“In view of the facts and circumstances of the case, in my considered opinion, remand of the accused sought by the I.0. is necessary and justified for a fair and complete probe of the case.”
