(Image source from: Aninews.in)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a series of raids in Ranchi, Jharkhand, uncovering more than Rs 20 crore from the residence of a household help working for Sanjiv Lal, the Personal Secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam. The counting of the recovered cash is still underway. These raids are part of an ongoing investigation related to Virendra K. Ram, the chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, who was arrested in February 2023 for allegedly participating in irregularities in the implementation of government schemes. The ED took over the case after a subordinate of Ram was found with a large amount of cash in 2019.

Apart from the search conducted at Sanjiv Lal's employee's residence, the Enforcement Directorate has also performed investigations at various other places in Ranchi, including the home of Vikas Kumar, an engineer at the Road Construction Department. Meanwhile, Deepak Prakash, a BJP Member of Parliament, has strongly criticised Jharkhand's ruling coalition of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Prakash accused them of transforming Jharkhand into a "Lootkhand," saying that more than Rs 25 crore had been recovered, which belonged to the ruling party's ministers, causing the people of Jharkhand to feel humiliated.