The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a series of raids across various sites in Ranchi, Jharkhand on Monday, uncovering a sum of ₹20 crore in undisclosed cash.
These recent operations carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), focused on approximately six locations associated with Virendra Ram, the former chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, and his close associates.
Virendra Ram had been apprehended by the ED in February 2023 in connection with a money laundering case.
During one of the raids, a significant quantity of currency notes was found strewn across a room reportedly linked to the domestic assistant of Sanjiv Lal, the personal secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam, a 70-year-old Congress leader representing the Pakur constituency in the Jharkhand assembly.
Expressing concern over the persistence of corruption in Jharkhand, Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdev raised suspicions regarding the intended use of such funds during elections, calling for action from the Election Commission.
The investigative agency is currently conducting simultaneous raids at nine locations, including Sail City in Ranchi. One team from the ED was engaged in a search at Sail City to locate Vikas Kumar, an engineer affiliated with the Road Construction Department, while another team was conducting operations in the Bariatu, Morhabadi, and Bodia areas.
