PMLA court frames charges against ex-minister, 11 others in money laundering case

Ranchi: A special PMLA court in Ranchi on Saturday framed charges against former minister Alamgir Alam and 11 others in a tender-commission scam involving the rural development department and money laundering.The accused face charges under Section 3 of PMLA for allegedly laundering illegally acquired wealth, following an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).Key accused include former chief engineer Veerendra Ram, his wife Rajkumari, Alam's ex-personal assistant Sanjeev Lal, Lal's servant Jehangir Alam, along with Neeraj Mittal, Alok Ranjan, Ram Prakash Bhatia, Mukesh Mittal, and HN Tiwari among others.Alam appeared via video conferencing from Birsa Munda jail during the proceedings. All accused denied the charges and requested a trial. The next hearing is scheduled for December 21.The ED has filed three separate charge-sheets in the case, naming 13 individuals. However, one accused, Genda Ram (Veerendra Ram's father), passed away in October.Earlier, the court rejected discharge petitions filed by 11 accused persons. The investigation gained momentum after ED raids at several locations in Ranchi, including premises of Lal and Jehangir on May 6, yielding seizures worth over Rs 35 crore.Alamgir was arrested on May 15 following interrogation in connection with the case.
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