The Enforcement Directorate on Monday seized unaccounted cash worth Rs 25 crore following raids at multiple locations in Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi in connection with a money laundering case.

The probe agency reportedly recovered a huge amount of cash from the residence of the house help of Sanjiv Lal, the secretary to Jharkhand Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam.

The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), targeted approximately half a dozen locations linked to Virendra Ram, the former chief engineer at the Jharkhand Rural Development Department, and his inner circle.

Ram was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in February 2023 in connection with the money laundering case.

The probe agency is conducting simultaneous raids at nine locations, including Sail city in Ranchi.

Video footage of the raid showed a mountain of currency notes scattered across a room purportedly belonging to the domestic aide of Lal.

Alam (70) is a Congress leader and represents the Pakur seat in the Jharkhand assembly. Responding to the raids, he said it would not be right to comment since the probe agency is still investigating the case.

“Sanjiv Lal is a government employee. He is my personal secretary. Sanjiv Lal has already been a personal secretary of two former ministers. There are several government employees and we usually appoint personal secretaries based on experience. It is not right to comment on the raids before the ED investigation is completed,” he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Jharkhand Congress leader Ghulam Ahmad Mir said, “We are waiting for the ED to give an official statement. They (from whom the money has been recovered) are all government employees, who have served in the previous governments as well. Before any connection is established, I don’t think the PM should go to this low.”

“Corruption is not ending in Jharkhand. This money during elections indicates that there is a plan to spend this money in the elections. The Election Commission should take action on this,” said Jharkhand BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdev.

BJP leader Amar Kumar Bauri accused the ruling Congress-JMM-RJD government of turning Jharkhand into “Lootkhand”.

“The most corrupt government in history: Congress-JMM-RJD government together turned Jharkhand into ‘Lootkhand’! 25 crore cash has been found from the house of the servant of Minister Alamgir Alam’s PA, counting is still going on…,” the Leader of Opposition in Jharkhand assembly said in a post on ‘X’.