New Delhi, April 2: The Supreme Court has denied bail to former Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam and his private secretary Sanjeev Lal in a money laundering case linked to an alleged tender commission scam. The court has, however, instructed that the trial proceedings be expedited.
A bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh rejected the bail pleas of both accused, who have been in judicial custody for over 18 months. The bench directed the trial court to record the statements of key witnesses within four weeks.
The bench clarified that the next hearing date would be set only after the witness interrogation is completed. During the hearing, Alam’s lawyer argued that his client has been in custody since May 2024 and highlighted delays in the trial process due to supplementary charge sheets repeatedly filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The defense also raised concerns regarding the prosecution’s lack of approval. However, the court found these arguments insufficient to grant bail. Sanjeev Lal, who sought bail on similar grounds, was also denied relief.
This case is linked to an ED investigation into alleged irregularities in the Rural Development Department. On May 6, 2024, the agency conducted raids at locations associated with Sanjeev Lal and his associate Jahangir Alam, seizing ₹32.20 crore in cash. Additionally, ₹10.05 lakh and a diary containing details of alleged commission transactions were confiscated from Lal.
Following the investigation, Alamgir Alam was arrested on May 15, 2024. The ED claims that an organized network was operating to collect commissions in exchange for awarding government tenders.
According to the agency, contractors were allegedly required to pay about three percent of the total contract value as commission. Of this, approximately 1.35 percent was reportedly funneled to the then minister through his private secretary, while 0.65 to 1 percent was distributed among senior department officials, with the remaining amount shared among engineers and other staff.
The ED asserts that the alleged scam resulted in over ₹90 crore in illegal earnings related to the allocation of tenders worth approximately ₹3,048 crore. Emphasizing the seriousness of the allegations, the Supreme Court denied bail and stressed the need for a swift trial.
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P.S.K.
Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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