New Delhi: A mountain of cash amounting to Rs 20 crore and counting has been found in the premises of a person linked to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted the raids in connection with the Virendra Ram case.
Footage from the raids showed wads of currency notes piled up in a room being used by the household help of Sanjiv Lal, the private secretary to Alamgir Alam, news agency ANI reported.
Last year, the ED arrested Virendra Ram, a chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes. The ED had also seized Ram’s assets worth Rs 39.29 crore.
The ED informed the PMLA (Prevention of Money-Laundering Act) court that Virendra Ram had approached a Delhi-based chartered accountant last year to launder his wealth. The money, amounting to several crores, was the kickbacks he received in return for contracts awarded to companies.
According to ANI, ED sources also said they got information ranging from the creation of shell companies through fake PAN cards to the exchange of crores of rupees in cash to purchase movable and immovable properties.
Ram also confessed to the ED that he took 0.3-1 per cent of the tender amount as commission from companies selected to execute works in his department.
#WATCH | The Enforcement Directorate is conducting raids at multiple locations in Ranchi. Huge amount of cash recovered from household help of Sanjiv Lal – PS to Jharkhand Rural Development minister Alamgir Alam, in Virendra Ram case.
ED arrested Virendra K. Ram, the chief… pic.twitter.com/VTpUKBOPE7
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024
