ED team reaches Jharkhand Secretariat with minister Alamgir's OSD Sanjeev Lal

THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK

Ranchi, May 8: The ED’s interrogation of Minister Alamgir’s OSD Sanjeev Lal and Jahangir Alam has started from Wednesday. ED team is investigating the documents in Sanjeev Lal’s chamber. Meanwhile, the ED team has reached the Jharkhand Secretariat for investigation with Sanjeev Lal.

The ED has received information that the money collected in the name of corruption and commission from contracts in the Rural Development Department of Jharkhand Government used to reach Sanjeev Lal (Private Secretary). He used to use the engineers of the department and some private people to collect money.

The ED has told the court that the nexus of lower officials to high-ranking officials of Jharkhand Government’s Rural Development Department is involved in the entire corruption. Crores of rupees reached officers and leaders. Initial investigation has revealed that a huge amount of money was given to all of them in cash.

One office of the Rural Development Department is located in the Project Building, where ministers sit, while the other office is in the APP Building. Departmental secretaries, along with other officials and employees, work in this office.

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The ED’s action has stirred up a buzz not only in administrative circles but also in political corridors. This is the first time that an ED team has entered a government ministry.

Politicians and officers’ commission is 1.5 percent

The ED has found in its investigation that a total of 3.2 per cent was collected in departmental contracts. In this, 1.5 per cent commission went to big politicians and senior officials of the department as cut money.

It has come to light in the investigation that commission collection went to influential people under the supervision of Sanjeev Lal. Money was collected in connivance with the syndicate of engineers even for managing tenders and collecting commission. After this, the fixed percentage was given to high ranking people of the government.

In the investigation, the role of some IAS officers and politicians has emerged as highly suspicious.

Rs 35.23 crore commission generated in three months

According to the facts that came out in the ED investigation, the Rs 31.20 crore recovered from Jahangir’s Gadikhan flat was deposited in just three months. The flat was also purchased a few months ago in Jahangir’s name only so that the money could be kept here.

The Rs 2.93 crore recovered from Munna Singh’s house was also to be shifted here, but before that the ED team raided and recovered this money.