ED Tightens Grip on Jharkhand Tender Commission Scam, Summons 12 Engineers for Questioning

Ranchi:
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into the alleged tender commission scam in Jharkhand’s Rural Development Department by issuing summons to around 12 engineers for interrogation. The engineers include officials of various ranks such as Executive Engineers (EE), Assistant Engineers (AE), and Junior Engineers (JE).

According to sources, the ED has directed all the summoned officers to appear at its Ranchi zonal office on different dates for questioning, as the agency seeks to uncover the complete network behind the alleged corruption racket.

Deep-rooted Corruption Syndicate Under Scanner

Preliminary findings of the ED suggest that a well-organised corruption syndicate was operating within the Rural Development Department. Investigators believe that contractors were allegedly forced to pay hefty commissions during the tender process, and the collected money was systematically passed on to senior officials and influential persons.

The ED is now trying to identify who benefited from the illegal collections, how much money was distributed, and the exact route through which the cash was transferred upward in the administrative chain.

22 Accused Already Chargesheeted

So far, the ED has filed four prosecution complaints (chargesheets) in court against 22 accused individuals in connection with the case. Key accused named in the investigation include:

• Alamgir Alam (then Rural Development Minister)
• Sanjeev Kumar (former personal secretary of the minister)
• Birendra Ram (Chief Engineer)
• Alok Ranjan and several others

Rs 37 Crore Cash Seized Earlier

During earlier raids, the ED had seized more than Rs 37 crore in cash, believed to be linked to the syndicate. Investigations revealed that the money was later laundered through a network of chartered accountants and entry operators based in Delhi.

The laundered funds were allegedly used for purchasing high-value properties and assets, strengthening the suspicion of large-scale money laundering.

ED Aims to Expose the Full Money Trail

With the latest round of summons, the ED is expected to dig deeper into the department’s internal functioning and establish the complete money trail behind the tender manipulation and commission collection system.

Officials say further action may follow depending on the statements and evidence gathered during the questioning.