'Mountain Of Cash': PM Modi Reacts As ED Finds Rs 20 Crore From Man Linked to Jharkhand Minister's Secretary

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday claimed to have recovered a huge amount of “unaccounted” cash during searches of premises allegedly linked to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam’s Personal Secretary Sanjiv Lal.

The anti-corruption agency recovered a total of Rs 35.23 crore cash from the household help of Sanjiv Lal, Personal Secretary to Alamgir Alam. The 70-year-old Congress leader represents the Pakur seat in the Jharkhand assembly.

Video footage of the search showed wads of currency notes spread in a room that is alleged to be of the domestic help of Sanjiv Lal PS to Alamgir Alam.

The searches were carried out in connection with a money laundering case against the former chief engineer of the rural development department, Virendra K Ram, who was arrested by the probe agency last year.

Veerendra K Ram, accused of amassing property worth 100 Crore, was arrested by the ED in February 2023 in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes.

A pen drive with alleged transaction details with some Jharkhand politicians was recovered from his possession.

PM Modi Reacts To ED Raid In Jharkhand

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a public rally in Odisha’s Nabarangpur, reacted to the ED raid in Ranchi and said, “Aaj Jharkhand me noton ke pahad mil rahe hain (mountains of cash are being found in Jharkhand). Modi is taking action against corruption.”

BJP MP from Jharkhand’s Godda, Nishikant Dubet shared the video of the ED raid at the premises linked to Sanjiv Lal PS to state minister Alamgir Alam and wrote, “More than 30 crore rupees and counting continues… Today, ED took a big action against Sanjeev Lal, personal secretary of Congress Legislative Party leader and Jharkhand government’s corruption king Hemant government minister Alamgir Alam.”

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also reacted to the ED raids in Ranchi and said, “They are all ‘lootera’ (dacoits). Be it the family of Lalu Prasad Yadav or Shibu Soren, they have done the work of looting the country. When Government will take action against them, they will obviously feel hurt.”

Alamgir Alam Reacts To ED Searches

According to a PTI report, Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam denied having any “official information” regarding the searches. “I have been watching TV and it says the premises are linked to the official PS (private secretary) provided to me by the government,” he said.

“Sanjiv Lal is a government employee. He is my personal secretary. Sanjiv Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. There are several government employees and we usually appoint personal secretary based on experience. It is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed…” Alamgir Alam further said.

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