ED Unveils ‘Mini Mountain’ of Cash Linked to 10k Bribe: PS Staff of Minister Earning 15k Allegedly Involved in 30 Crore Scam, Note Counting Ongoing

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at nine locations in Ranchi on Monday. Among these places were the residences of engineers and politicians. It has been reported that over 30 crore rupees have been seized from the personal secretary of Jharkhand’s Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam.

The counting of notes is underway, with a significant portion of the seized money found in large bags. Jahangir P.E., who is employed by Sanjeev Lal, also had money recovered from his residence.

Two areas where the raids are currently ongoing are Dhurwa’s SAIL City Extension and Boreya Morabadi Road. Reports suggest that those targeted by the ED today include former Chief Engineers, notably those with associations with Virendra Ram.

The ED is solely focusing on Virendra Ram’s case for investigation. In Ranchi’s SAIL City, raids have been conducted at the residence of Vikas Kumar, an engineer from the Road Construction Department.

February 2022: Raids at Virendra Ram’s Residence

On February 22, 2022, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at a total of 24 locations linked to Virendra Ram, the Chief Engineer of the Rural Development Department. 

During these raids, besides Virendra Ram’s companies, assets worth 100 crore rupees were scrutinized for potential irregularities. Among the findings during the raids, properties worth 1.50 crore rupees and approximately 30 lakh rupees in cash were recovered.

As part of the investigation, the ED registered a case, known as ECIR, against an engineer of the Rural Development Department at the Jamshedpur Monitoring Station. Subsequently, actions were taken to pursue this case further.

Who is Virendra Ram?

Virendra Ram served as the Chief Engineer in the Rural Development Department. On November 15, 2019, the ED raided the residence of JE Suresh Prasad in Jamshedpur, where they discovered 2.67 crore rupees in cash. 

During questioning, JE allegedly revealed that the money belonged to Chief Engineer Virendra Ram. Subsequently, when the scope of the investigation widened, the ED began probing into Virendra Ram’s activities. On February 22, 2022, simultaneous raids were conducted at the premises of Virendra Ram and his associates. 

These raids unearthed incriminating documents, revealing information about movable assets worth approximately 150 crore rupees linked to Virendra Ram’s addresses. Additionally, seized from the chartered accountant Mukesh Mittal were old notes worth 9.46 lakh rupees and several incriminating documents. Following this, Virendra Ram was apprehended on February 23.

300 Crore Rupees Seized from Jharkhand’s Rajya Sabha MP’s Premises

On December 6, 2023, the Income Tax Department raided ten locations associated with Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu. Raids were conducted across Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, resulting in the seizure of over 300 crore rupees in cash from various locations involved in alleged money laundering activities.

According to Sanjay Bahadur, the Director-General of Income Tax (Investigation), this is the largest amount seized in a single operation to date. On December 8, a thorough counting of notes was conducted using a combination of large and small-scale counting machines.

IAS Officer Pooja’s Residence Raided, 19.31 Crore Rupees Seized

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted nationwide raids in connection with an illegal mining case two years ago, resulting in raids across the country. The operation targeted 25 locations associated with senior IAS officer Pooja Singhal and individuals close to those in power.

A staggering sum of 19.31 crore rupees was seized from the premises of a close associate of the officer. Subsequently, the ED arrested Pooja Singhal following the seizure. She is currently in custody.