₹30 CRORE AND STILL COUNTING...: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT JHARKHAND CASH HAUL SO FAR

Not one but hundreds of ₹500-note bundles, amounting to over ₹30 crore, were found at the Ranchi residence of Jahangir, the house help of Sanjiv Lal, on Monday. Lal is a personal secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids continue at six places linked to Jharkhand minister and his aides in Ranchi as of 7:30 pm on Monday, ANI reported.

The ED also carried out searches at other locations in Ranchi. One such location is the residence of Vikas Kumar, an engineer in the Road Construction Department.

" ₹30 crore has been seized so far. The raid is still underway. The ED has covered 6 premises linked to Jharkhand Minister and his aides," ED officials told ANI on Monday. According to an 

What's the case ED is probing?

The raids were conducted in connection with a case against the former chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, Veerendra Kumar Ram.

The ED arrested Virendra K Ram in February 2023 in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the implementation of some schemes, news agency ANI reported. The case against Ram stems from a complaint of the Jharkhand anti-corruption bureau (ACB).

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"Veerendra Kumar Ram, posted as chief engineer in the Rural Works Department in Ranchi, had generated proceeds of crime in the name of commission from contractors in lieu of allotment of tenders to them," the agency had alleged in a statement issued last year in April after it attached assets worth ₹39 crore of the officer.

"The proceeds of crime thus generated were used by Veerendra Kumar Ram and his family members to live a very lavish lifestyle," the agency was quoted by PTI as saying.

Visuals show 'wads of currency notes': WATCH

The six premises were searched as part of the operation, and from two premises the agency recovered ₹2.93 crore and ₹10 lakh each, the sources told PTI. The cash is largely in the denomination of ₹500 and some jewellery has also been recovered, they added.

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Sources shared a few videos and photos that showed ED officials taking out wads of currency notes from large bags in a room located in a building at Gadikhana Chowk in Ranchi.

ED sources said a total of eight note-counting machines were deployed to count the cash to ascertain the exact amount which could range between ₹20-30 crore. Meanwhile, a video shared by ANI showed six counting machines at the location and officials sitting amid the note bundles and counting them.

ALSO READ: ED raids several locations linked to Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat in alleged forest scam case

Visuals also showed large trunks being taken inside the location so that the cash could be taken out after the seizure.

PM Modi reacts: 'Mountains of currency notes'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that people are lauding the action taken by the central agency, while some are criticising him for stopping corruption and loot.

While addressing a public rally in Odisha's Nabarangpur on Monday, PM Modi said, "Today, mountains of currency notes are being found in the neighbouring state Jharkhand. People are saying "chori ho gaya aur mal pakad raha Modi waha" (theft has taken place and Modi has seized the robbed goods)."

"Now tell me, if I stop their theft, stop their earning, stop their loot, won't they abuse Modi or not? Despite the abuses, shouldn't I be doing this work? Shouldn't I be saving your money," the Prime Minister said.

Minister Alam reacts

A domestic help of Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alam's personal secretary, Sanjiv Lal, is reported to be residing in a building located in Gadikhana Chowk in Ranchi.

Alam told PTI he has no official information regarding the matter so far. "I have been watching TV and it says the premises are linked to the official PS (private secretary) provided to me by the government," he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, ANI quoted Alam as saying that it is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed.

"Sanjiv Lal is a government employee. He is my personal secretary. Sanjiv Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. There are several government employees and we usually appoint personal secretary based on experience," the minister said.

2024-05-06T14:53:47Z dg43tfdfdgfd