Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), investigating allegations of money laundering in a tender commission scam, has seized property worth Rs 4.42 crore belonging to Sanjeev Lal, the personal secretary of former Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam, along with his wife Rita Lal and servant Jahangir Alam. This case is part of a larger scam exceeding Rs 3,000 crore, and the seized properties are now under review by the Adjudicating Authority, which has 180 days to make a decision.
According to media reports, the ED has determined that these properties were acquired using illicit funds. Sanjeev Lal, Alamgir Alam’s personal secretary, is alleged to have abused his position to purchase assets in his own name, his wife's name, and his servant's name. The ED’s seizure note reveals that Lal admitted during questioning that he collected a commission of three to four percent from the total tender amount. He personally collected 1.35 percent of this amount as the minister's share, which was collected in cash from engineers involved in the tender process.
Lal reportedly sent his friend Munna Singh or Singh’s brother Santosh Singh to collect the cash from the engineers. This money was then transported by Lal's servant Jahangir Alam to Abhinandan Marriage Hall near Rani Hospital, where it was handed over to Santosh Singh and subsequently delivered to Sir Syed Residency. This property has also been seized. Lal stated that he sent 1.35 percent of the commission to Alamgir Alam, while 1.65 percent went to senior bureaucrats, engineers, and other employees.
The investigation has uncovered significant cash amounts, including Rs 32.20 crore found at Jahangir Alam’s flat and Rs 2.93 crore found at Munna Singh’s location. Jahangir Alam confirmed during questioning that this money belonged to Alamgir Alam. Munna Singh admitted to collecting Rs 53 crore in cash through his brother Santosh Kumar and delivering it to Sanjeev Lal. This money was sourced from seven individuals, including engineers in the Rural Development Department.
The seized properties include:
Residential Land in Bariatu: Purchased on April 3, 2023, with an area of 16.52 decimals and a building of 2000 square feet. Documented purchase price was Rs 70 lakh, but its actual value is Rs 2.85 crore. This property is registered under Sanjeev Kumar Lal's name.
Land in Pundag Mauza: Purchased on February 20, 2024, with an area of 8.60 decimals in Rita Lal’s name. The purchase price was Rs 24.50 lakh, while its actual value is Rs 47.30 lakh.
Flat in Sir Syed Residency: Purchased on November 18, 2023, with an area of 995 sq ft in Jahangir Alam’s name. The flat was purchased for Rs 38 lakh, which is the same flat where large cash amounts were found.
Land in Pundag Mauza: Purchased on February 23, 2024, with an area of 9.75 decimals in Jahangir Alam’s name. The purchase price was Rs 25.71 lakh, while its actual value is Rs 72.25 lakh.
The ED's investigation also revealed discrepancies in property transactions, with a large portion of the payments made in cash. The amount shown in the property deeds was significantly less than the actual payments made, which were sourced from the commission received.