Ranchi (Jharkhand): Congress leader and Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam, who was grilled by the Directorate of Enforcement at its Ranchi office for the last two days in a money laundering case, was arrested on Wednesday.
He was questioned for more than ten hours on Tuesday and approximately seven hours on Wednesday before being taken into custody by the ED. The action comes almost a week after his OSD Sanjeev Lal, and a staff member Jehangir Alam were arrested following marathon raids at their premises. The agency had seized more than Rs 32 crore cash from a flat linked to them.
After the arrest, security was stepped up outside the ED office. Sources from Ranchi said that he was arrested for not cooperating during questioning. The arrest of Alamgir Alam ahead of the crucial second phase of Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand has raised political pitch across the nation. The BJP has reacted strongly to the entire issue.
"The action shows minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam’s involvement in corruption. The recovery of huge cash from his OSD and staff proves his involvement. All those who are involved in such kinds of activities will face the same consequences," BJP spokesperson Deepak Prakash said.
"Alamgir Alam should have been able to prove his innocence during the ED interrogation. The BJP has long maintained that this government has been deeply involved in corruption," he said.
Meanwhile, the INDIA Bloc leaders in Jharkhand accused the BJP of misusing the central investigating agencies against the opposition. They said that “after the four phases of Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is aware that they are going to face a massive defeat, that’s why they are targeting our leaders one by one”.
The state Congress general secretary and media coordinator Rakesh Sinha alleged that the ED arrested Alamgir Alam without “concrete evidence” and termed it as a “political arrest”.
The ED had issued a summons to Alam to appear before the agency on May 14 at the Ranchi Zonal Office for recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The money laundering investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in the state's rural development department.
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