Jharkhand minister Alamgir Alam grilled for over 9 hours by ED in money laundering case

Ranchi: Jharkhand minister and Congress leader Alamgir Alam was on Tuesday grilled by Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials here for over nine hours in connection with a money laundering case.

Alam, the state's Rural Development minister, arrived at the ED office around 11 am and came out of the office around 8.30 pm.

"I have replied to whatever questions were asked," he told reporters after coming out of the ED office.

When he was asked if ED had called him again tomorrow, Alam said he would reply to this later.

Sources said he has been called for questioning again on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day before entering the office of the federal agency, Alam said, "I abide by laws... I am here to face questioning."

The ED had last week arrested Alam's personal secretary and state administrative service officer Sanjeev Kumar Lal (52) and the latter's domestic help Jahangir Alam (42), following the seizure of more than Rs 32 crore cash from a flat linked to them.

Alam, 70, was asked to depose at the zonal office of the ED in Ranchi on Tuesday for recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The money laundering investigation pertains to alleged irregularities in the state's rural development department.