Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam's ED Remand Extended: Health Concerns Raised

Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam's ED remand has been extended by five days amid a money laundering probe. His lawyers cited health issues requiring special night care. This follows the arrest of his secretary and the discovery of Rs 32 crore in cash, raising concerns about bribery and irregularities.

The Special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court here on Wednesday extended Jharkhand Minister Alamgir Alam's ED remand for five days in an alleged money laundering case, his lawyers said.

Alam was arrested after two days of questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on May 15 at the agency's office. He was remanded to the custody of the central agency for six days by the PMLA court, starting May 17.

Alam's lawyer Kishlay Prasad said the ED had requested an eight-day remand, but the court granted five.

''We raised the minister's medical condition as a concern. He requires special care at night when his oxygen levels drop. We requested that a medical team should monitor him particularly at night. The ED agreed to coordinate with the civil surgeon and take necessary measures,'' Prasad said.

The state parliamentary affairs minister represents the Pakur seat in Jharkhand assembly. The money laundering investigation is related to alleged irregularities and bribery in the state rural development department.

Alam came under the ED's scrutiny after his personal secretary and state administrative service officer, Sanjeev Kumar Lal (52), and Lal's domestic help, Jahangir Alam (42), were recently arrested. The central agency discovered over Rs 32 crore in cash during a raid on May 6 at a flat associated with them.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)