The Supreme Court has granted bail to Alamgir Alam, a former minister in Jharkhand and member of the Congress party, along with his former personal secretary, Sanjeev Lal. This decision was made in connection with a money laundering case involving alleged commission collections from contractors in return for government contracts. The bench, composed of Justices M.M. Sundresh and N. Kotiswar Singh, made the ruling following discussions that included both the petitioners and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Details of the Case and Previous Denials

Alamgir Alam was arrested on May 15, 2024, shortly after the ED carried out raids that resulted in the seizure of more than ₹32.20 crore in cash from locations linked to his associates. Prior to his appeal to the Supreme Court, both Alam and Lal had their bail requests denied by the Jharkhand High Court. During the previous hearings, the ED had characterised the allegations as serious, citing the scale of commission payments and the laundering of illicit proceeds generated through the awarding of government tenders.

The ED expressed concerns that releasing the accused may lead to the potential tampering with evidence or influence over witnesses, highlighting that the statements of four significant witnesses had still not been recorded despite the Supreme Court’s earlier orders. The High Court had previously remarked that the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi justifiably dismissed Alam’s plea for discharge based on evidence that suggested his active involvement in alleged irregularities.

In its refusal to grant bail, the High Court emphasised that the Special Court had sufficient basis to proceed against Alamgir Alam, as charges had been framed following an adequate review of the material against him. The court concluded that the orders issued by the trial court warranted no interference.

Arguments Presented in Supreme Court

During proceedings in the Supreme Court, senior counsel for the petitioners argued that the case heavily relied on statements made by co-accused persons during custody. They contended that no direct accusations had been levelled against Alamgir Alam. They also highlighted that no incriminating evidence, including cash, had been found in his residence.

The legal team further sought bail on medical grounds, noting that Alam, who is 77 years old, had spent over two years in detention and was dealing with health issues related to his age. The lawyers argued that these compelling factors warranted consideration for his release on bail during the trial.

This money laundering case traces back to searches conducted by the ED on May 6, 2024. During those operations, cash amounting to ₹32.20 crore was discovered at premises associated with Jahangir Alam, an individual linked to the case. The ED also seized ₹10.05 lakh and a diary from Sanjeev Lal’s home, with the diary reportedly containing records of commission transactions and identified beneficiaries involved in the alleged illegal operations.

Further Investigation and Findings

In the wake of the raids, both Sanjeev Lal and Jahangir Alam were arrested on May 7, 2024, while Alamgir Alam was summoned for questioning before being arrested a week later after consecutive interrogations. The investigation led the ED to attach assets valued at ₹4.42 crore linked to Sanjeev Lal while also seizing the significant cash discovered during the raids.

According to the ED’s findings, commission payments were allegedly collected under the guidance of Sanjeev Lal, with funds being directed to high-profile individuals. Furthermore, the agency indicated that a network comprising engineers played a role in managing the tender processes, facilitating the collection of commissions from contractors, part of which was purportedly diverted to senior government officials.

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