How a Rs 10,000 bribe led to recovery of crores in Jharkhand

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When the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Virendra Ram, chief engineer in the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, in February last year, little did officials anticipate the big revelations it would make. Ram was arrested for allegedly accepting a mere Rs 10,000 bribe.

Ram, seemingly holding a low profile in the bureaucratic hierarchy, emerged as a pivotal example of how corrupt government functionaries orchestrate elaborate schemes to launder their illicit gains while evading the scrutiny of enforcement agencies.

During interrogation, Ram disclosed a complex network of corruption, implicating not only himself but also a coterie of complicit officials. He unveiled a modus operandi wherein bribe money was funnelled through various channels, particularly during the tendering process, implicating a systemic malaise within the department.

Upon receiving these disclosures, the ED initiated a detailed investigation, corroborating Ram's claims with intelligence gathered from different sources. Subsequent enquiries indicated the extensive nature of corruption within the Rural Development Department of Jharkhand, prompting the ED to dispatch a confidential letter to the state government on May 9 last year, urging prompt action.

The response from the state authorities was tepid, with allegations of collusion surfacing as the confidential correspondence purportedly found its way into the hands of the very individuals under scrutiny.

"During his custodial interrogation, he (Virendra Ram) disclosed that he was taking bribes in the name of the commission against the allotment of tenders from the contractors. He further disclosed in his statement recorded on April 14, 2023, that the commission amount taken from the contractors is 3.2 per cent of the total tender value and that his share was 0.3 per cent," a letter accessed by India Today read.

Armed with incriminating evidence and corroborative intelligence, the ED executed raids on May 6, 2024, targeting key suspects, including Sanjiv Lal, the Personal Secretary to Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam. Lal, purportedly a linchpin in the corruption nexus, was alleged to be complicit in the awarding of contracts, amassing considerable wealth in the process. Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam (L), his personal secretary Sanjiv Lal (R). [Images: India Today]

The raids yielded a staggering trove of evidence, emblematic of the pervasive corruption plaguing the department. At the residence of Lal's associate, Jahangir, authorities unearthed a cache of "unaccounted cash" estimated to be over Rs 34 corer, with counting operations still underway at the time of reporting.

Additionally, Rs 3 crore was seized from another person's premises, underscoring the magnitude of the illicit wealth amassed through graft and wrongdoing.

Sources have told India Today that Minister Alamgir Alam will soon be questioned, as officials have allegedly recovered several documents during the searches implicating him.

Published By:

Sahil Sinha

Published On:

May 6, 2024