Former Jharkhand Minister Granted Bail in Money Laundering Case

Former Jharkhand minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam has received significant relief from the Supreme Court in a money laundering and tender commission scam case. After spending nearly two years in jail, he has now been granted bail.

In this case, the Supreme Court has also granted bail to Alamgir Alam's private secretary Sanjeev Lal. Earlier, the Jharkhand High Court had rejected their bail petition, after which they approached the Supreme Court.

This case became a topic of national discussion when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations including Ranchi on May 6, 2024. During the investigation, approximately Rs 32.2 crore in cash was recovered from the house of Sanjeev Lal's assistant Jahangir Alam.

Additionally, Rs 10.5 lakh was recovered from Sanjeev Lal's house and Rs 2.3 lakh from the secretariat office. The ED also recovered a diary in which alleged commission transactions were claimed to be recorded.

The ED arrested Alamgir Alam on May 15, 2024, after the investigation. The agency alleges that commissions were collected in exchange for securing government tenders, and an organized network was operating for this purpose.

According to the ED, approximately 3 percent of the total tender amount was taken as commission from contractors. It is alleged that about 1.35 percent of this amount reached the then minister through his private secretary. The remaining amount was distributed among department officials and employees.

Now, after receiving bail from the Supreme Court, Alamgir Alam is expected to be released from jail soon.