Jharkhand Congress leader and former minister Alamgir Alam was released on bail from the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Hotwar, Ranchi, on Thursday (May 14, 2026), following relief granted by the Supreme Court in the money laundering case. The Supreme Court had granted him bail on Monday (May 11, 2026). 

On May 15, 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Mr. Alamin in the money laundering case. Before his arrest, the ED had arrested Mr. Alam’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Sanjiv Kumar Lal and the latter’s domestic help after the seizure of nearly ₹32.20 crore from a flat linked to them.

Following his arrest, he was compelled to resign from his ministerial post. In the 2024 Assembly elections, the Congress party fielded his wife, Nishat Alam, as the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ (Grand Alliance) candidate from the Pakur Assembly constituency, and she won the seat. Earlier, the Jharkhand Court had rejected the bail pleas of Mr. Alam and his associate Sanjeev Lal, after which they approached the Supreme Court.

When he walked out of the jail, his supporters shouted slogans in his support outside the jail. Speaking to the media, Alam said that the support and cooperation extended to him by party leaders, workers, and well-wishers during his difficult period never let his morale down. He termed himself innocent, expressing faith in the judiciary.

The Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, slammed Congress for the celebration over his release.

“After receiving relief from the Supreme Court, he got the opportunity today to walk out on bail. No one should make the mistake of seeing this as an “honourable acquittal.” This is merely an interim relief granted based on age and illness, with strict conditions attached—it is not the final verdict,” Mr. Marandi said in the social media post on X.

He further said, “The surprising part is that his supporters are celebrating the bail as if some revolutionary had returned after fighting a war for freedom. Sweets are being distributed, firecrackers are being burst, and fireworks are lighting up the sky. Have allegations of siphoning off crores of rupees in alleged black money, commission and looting the share meant for the poor now become achievements worth celebrating?”

Mr. Marandi added that the public is bound to ask questions: after all, how did a mountain of notes pile up in a domestic aide’s house?

“Machines had to be brought in to count the cash. The entire country watched those scenes on television, while Jharkhand stood with its head bowed in shame. Remember, getting bail is not proof of innocence. The trial is still ongoing, the courts are yet to deliver, and the wheels of the legal process will turn for a long time yet,” Mr. Marandi said.

He alleged that power, connections, and resources might buy temporary relief, but the stain of such cases does not wipe away easily.

“If you doubt it, just look at Lalu Prasad’s political and legal journey. Power is gone, age has advanced, and health has deteriorated, but the shadow of old cases still refuses to let go. In corruption cases, the courts’ knock may arrive late, but it arrives for sure,” Mr. Marandi asserted.