ED files charge sheet, attaches assets of ex J'khand minister Alamgir Alam, linked persons

In a statement on Saturday, the federal agency said it has issued a provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on July 4 against Alamgir Alam, his former PS Sanjeev Kumar Lal, Lal's wife Reeta Lal and his domestic help Jahangir Alam.

The cumulative value of all these assets recorded under the attachment is Rs 4.42 crore, it said. A charge sheet against these accused, except Reeta Lal, was also filed before a special PMLA court in Ranchi on Thursday, the agency said.

Alamgir Alam, a Congress politician and former rural development minister, apart from Lal and Jahangir Alam were arrested by the ED in this case. The ED had raided Sanjeev Kumar Lal and Jahangir Alam on May 6 and recovered a total Rs 32.2 crore from a flat in the name of the latter. The total cash seizure of cash in this case is Rs 37.55 crore apart from a four-wheeler and two-wheeled vehicle each, jewellery and digital devices.

The agency had said the probe pertains to alleged irregularities in the state rural development department that was once headed by Alamgir Alam. Probe found, the ED claimed, that a "commission of 3.2 per cent of the total tender value is taken from the contractors for tender allocation which is distributed in a mechanised manner from top to bottom in the rural works department, government of Jharkhand which also includes the commission of around 1.5 per cent for the minister (former) Alamgir Alam."