The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Jharkhand rural development minister Alamgir Alam on Wednesday evening after more than six hours of questioning in connection with alleged money laundering.

Alam, the Congress MLA from Pakur, was taken into custody by the agency at its zonal office in Ranchi under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). He had been questioned by the ED for over nine hours on Tuesday.

The ED had arrested Alam’s personal secretary, Sanjeev Kumar Lal, and Lal’s domestic help, Jahangir Alam, on May 5 night following the seizure of more than ₹32 crore from their houses. This was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his election rallies taking a dig at corruption in Jharkhand ruled by the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance.

The money laundering probe is related to alleged irregularities and payment of “bribes” in the state rural development department.

ED sources have informed that the minister expressed ignorance about the money (over ₹35 crore) recovered from the residences of his personal secretary and his domestic help. The ED had informed a special PMLA court that Lal had collected “commission” on behalf of influential people.