LegalNews – Supreme Court Grants Bail to Former Jharkhand Minister in ED Case
LegalNews – The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to former Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam and his former personal secretary Sanjeev Lal in connection with a money laundering investigation tied to an alleged tender irregularity case being probed by the Enforcement Directorate.
The relief came after both accused challenged an earlier decision of the Jharkhand High Court, which had rejected their bail applications. A bench led by Justice MM Sundresh and Justice N Kotiswar Singh heard arguments from both sides before directing their release.
ED Raised Concerns Over Investigation
During the proceedings, the Enforcement Directorate opposed the bail requests, describing the matter as a serious case involving alleged commission payments and laundering of illegal funds. The agency informed the court that statements of four important witnesses were still pending despite previous directions issued by the apex court.
The central agency also expressed concern that the accused persons could potentially influence witnesses if they were released while the investigation remains underway.
Defence Cites Lack of Direct Recovery
Lawyers representing former minister Alamgir Alam argued before the court that there was no direct recovery of cash or incriminating material from his residence. The defence maintained that the allegations against him were not supported by direct evidence linking him to the seized money.
Senior counsel appearing for Alam further pointed to his health condition and prolonged incarceration. The 77-year-old leader has remained in custody for more than two years and is reportedly dealing with age-related medical complications, the court was informed.
Raids Led to Massive Cash Recovery
The case stems from extensive searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on May 6, 2024, at several premises associated with Sanjeev Lal, Jahangir Alam and others linked to the investigation.
Officials had recovered more than Rs 32 crore in cash from locations connected to Jahangir Alam. During separate searches at Sanjeev Lal’s residence, investigators seized over Rs 10 lakh in cash along with a diary that allegedly contained coded entries and details related to commission transactions.
According to investigators, the records suggested the movement and distribution of illegal payments among multiple beneficiaries.
Arrests Followed Multi-Day Questioning
Following the raids, the ED arrested Sanjeev Lal and his associate Jahangir Alam on May 7, 2024. Former minister Alamgir Alam was later summoned for questioning and was arrested on May 15 after being interrogated over two consecutive days.
The agency subsequently attached assets worth Rs 4.42 crore allegedly linked to Sanjeev Lal. Authorities also confiscated the Rs 32.20 crore that had been recovered during the searches.
Alleged Tender Commission Network Under Probe
Investigators claimed that the case uncovered an alleged network involving engineers, contractors and middlemen connected to government tender allocations. According to the ED, commissions were allegedly collected from contractors during project approvals and then distributed through intermediaries.
The probe agency further alleged that a portion of the funds was passed on to influential officials and senior functionaries within the system. The investigation into the suspected financial transactions and tender-related irregularities is continuing.
The Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail does not affect the ongoing investigation, and the matter is expected to proceed further before the concerned courts as the ED continues its probe into the alleged money laundering operation.