The investigation into Jharkhand’s Rural Development Department has taken a massive leap forward. On March 17, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed its fifth supplementary chargesheet before a special PMLA court in Ranchi, bringing 14 more engineers and officials into the net of this wide-ranging corruption scandal.The "Fixed Commission" System The most shocking revelation in the ED's investigation is the existence of a highly organized bribery network. According to the agency, a fixed 3% commission was collected from contractors for every tender allotted. This wasn't just random corruption; it was a hierarchical business model:1.35% allegedly went to the then Minister (Alamgir Alam).0.65% to 1% was funneled to the Departmental Secretary.The remaining balance was distributed among chief engineers and their subordinates.Who are the 14 New Accused? The latest chargesheet targets a mix of retired and serving high-ranking officials from the Rural Works Department (RWD) and the Jharkhand State Rural Road Development Authority (JSRRDA). The list includes:Retired Chief Engineers: Singrai Tuti, Rajeev Lochan, Surendra Kumar, and Pramod Kumar.Executive Engineers: Santosh Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Ajay Tirkey, Raj Kumar Toppo, Ashok Kumar Gupta, Siddhant Kumar, and Anil Kumar.Retired Assistant Engineers: Ram Pukar Ram and Ramesh Ojha, along with former Superintending Engineer Umesh Kumar.A Scam Worth Hundreds of Crores The scale of the "Proceeds of Crime" (POC) is staggering. Out of a total tender allotment worth approximately ₹3,048 crore, the ED estimates that over ₹90 crore was generated as illegal commission. So far, the agency has:Conducted 52 searches across Jharkhand, Delhi, and Bihar.Seized nearly ₹38 crore in cash.Attached assets worth ₹44 crore.What Lies Ahead? With these 14 new additions, the total number of accused in this case has risen to 36. While former minister Alamgir Alam and his secretary remain in custody, this latest move by the ED signals that the agency is now focusing on the bureaucratic machinery that allowed this "commission culture" to thrive for years. For the people of Jharkhand, it's a grim reminder of how public funds meant for rural connectivity were allegedly treated as a private piggy bank.
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