Jharkhand HC judge recuses himself from Alamgir Alam bail hearing

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Ranchi, May 1: Justice Rangon Mukhopadhyay of the Jharkhand High Court has recused himself from hearing the bail plea of former state minister Alamgir Alam, who is currently in judicial custody on charges of money laundering.

Alam, who served as the Rural Development Minister, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 15, 2024, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial irregularities and commission-related misconduct in departmental schemes.

Following the rejection of his bail plea by the lower court, Alam moved the High Court seeking relief. The hearing was initially scheduled for May 1 before the bench of Justice Mukhopadhyay. However, the judge recused himself and ordered that the matter be listed before another bench.

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As a result, the hearing will now take place after the court’s summer vacation.

The ED’s investigation included raids on premises linked to Alamgir Alam’s personal secretary Sanjeev Lal, a close associate Jahangir Alam, and others. During the searches, authorities reportedly seized ₹32 crore in cash from Jahangir’s residence, along with records of commissions allegedly collected from development schemes, found on Sanjeev Lal’s computer and in his diary.

The former minister was summoned for questioning and subsequently arrested after two days of interrogation.

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