Ranchi: Former Minister Alamgir Alam, along with 12 other accused, will now face trial in the tender commission scam case. The Special Court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has framed charges against the accused, including Alam’s Personal Secretary Sanjeev Lal and suspended Chief Engineer Virendra Ram. The court has also directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to present witnesses in the case.
Earlier, the ED had filed a charge sheet against Alamgir Alam and 12 others, including Virendra Ram, in connection with the scam. However, one of the accused, Virendra Ram’s father Genda Ram, passed away before the charge sheet was filed.
The ED has taken two major actions in the case within a span of a year and a half. The first major action involved raids at the residence and other properties of suspended Chief Engineer Virendra Ram, with locations in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Patna, and Delhi being searched. This led to the arrest of not just Ram but also his family members and associates.
The second significant action took place on 6th and 7th May 2024, when the ED raided the homes of engineers, contractors, and Alamgir Alam’s PS Sanjeev Lal, as well as his servant Jahangir Alam. During the raids, a staggering ₹32.20 crore in cash was recovered from Jahangir Alam’s residence. Following this, on 7th May, both Sanjeev Lal and Jahangir Alam were arrested.
When the investigation reached Alamgir Alam, the ED summoned him for questioning. After two days of interrogation, Alam was arrested on 15th May.
The tender commission scam revealed the lavish lifestyle of Virendra Ram and his family. Despite being a public servant, Ram’s family indulged in extreme luxury—importing water from France at ₹300 per liter, his son wearing shirts worth ₹35,000, and his wife instructing servants not to buy cheap items from the market.
After spending 21 months in jail, Virendra Ram has been granted bail by the Supreme Court under Justice Abhay S Oka’s bench. Although he has been granted bail, the investigation by the ED will continue.