Wife of Jharkhand Minister's aide questioned after Rs 37 crore seized in ED raids

Rita Lal, the wife of Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam's personal secretary Sanjiv Lal, was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate following one of the biggest cash hauls on May 6 in Ranchi. Rita's husband, Sanjiv Lal, is considered the principal suspect in the case. A huge amount of "unaccounted cash", estimated to be over Rs 37 crore, was seized during raids at multiple locations in Ranchi, including the premises of the house help of Sanjiv Lal.

Rita Lal was summoned by the ED and was interrogated in front of her husband Sanjiv and his associate Jahangir Alam.

The ED officials are believed to have questioned his wife for fresh inputs and information linked to the case. Her statement is considered important as it could unravel the intricate network of allegations against Sanjiv Lal.

Congress leader Alamgir Alam, 70, is Jharkhand's Rural Development Minister and represents the Pakur seat in the state assembly.

ED, in one of its biggest cash hauls, recovered over Rs 37 crore from multiple locations in Ranchi. Following the raids, Sanjiv Lal and his aide Jahangir were arrested.

The raids were conducted in connection to a money laundering case against Virendra K Ram, a former chief engineer of the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, who was arrested in February 2023.

The case is linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes in the department.

Sanjiv Lal and Jahangir Alam were sent to ED custody by a PMLA court, following which Sanjiv's wife Rita was summoned for questioning.

The probe agency is primarily concerned with decoding and disclosing the allegations against Lal. According to sources, many new names could be summoned for questioning soon.