Ranchi: Two retired engineers, Engineer-in-Chief Rajiv Lochan and Executive Engineer Anil Kumar, surrendered before the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi on Wednesday. The move marks a key development in the multi-crore tender commission and money laundering case involving Jharkhand’s Rural Development Department.
The court granted both men conditional bail after they furnished personal bonds of Rs 1 lakh each. As part of their bail conditions, the court ordered the accused to surrender their passports and prohibited them from leaving the country without prior permission.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently named the duo in a supplementary charge sheet alongside 12 other engineers. While these officials secured bail, primary accused and former Rural Development Minister Alamgir Alam remains in judicial custody. The Supreme Court recently rejected his bail plea, directing the trial court to expedite proceedings and record witness statements within four weeks.
The Commission Syndicate
The ED’s investigation has uncovered a systematic “commission-based syndicate” within the department:
-
The Cut: Contractors allegedly paid a 3% commission to secure tenders.
-
The Split: Approximately 1.35% went to the minister, while the remaining funds were distributed among officials.
-
The Total: The agency claims illegal collections exceeded Rs 90 crore against tenders worth Rs 3,048 crore.
The scandal broke in May 2024 when ED raids at premises linked to Jahangir Alam—an associate of the minister’s private secretary—resulted in the recovery of Rs 32.20 crore in cash. To date, the agency has conducted 52 searches across Jharkhand, Delhi, and Bihar, arresting nine individuals in connection with the PMLA case.
