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ED attaches assets worth ₹82 crore of former Jharkhand mining secretary
The ED has attached assets worth ₹82.77 crore belonging to former Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in the MNREGA scheme.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth ₹82.77 crore belonging to jailed IAS officer and former Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with its probe into alleged irregularities in the MNREGA scheme in the state, the agency said on Thursday.
The assets attached include a super-speciality hospital, a diagnostic centre and two land parcels, the agency said.
Singhal was arrested by the ED on May 11 under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The agency’s investigation pertains to a money laundering case in which a former junior engineer in the Jharkhand government, Ram Binod Prasad Sinha, was arrestedon June 17, 2020 from West Bengal, based on first information reports (FIRs) filed by the Jharkhand vigilance bureau.
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Sinha was booked by the vigilance bureau under criminal sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) pertaining to cheating and corruption for allegedly defrauding public money and investing it in his own name as well as in the name of his family members while working as junior engineer from April 1, 2008 to March 21, 2011.
The said money was earmarked for the execution of government projects under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) in Khunti district, the central agency had said earlier.
According to ED, Sinha said he paid 5% commission (out of the defrauded funds) to the district administration.
During the period, ED said various charges of irregularities were made against Singhal while she served as the deputy commissioner/district magistrate of Chatra, Khunti and Palamu between 2007-2013.
An ED statement on Thursday said: “Proceeds of crime (POC) generated from the MNREGA scam in form of commission was deposited in different bank accounts belonging to Pooja Singhal and her relatives. The said POC was mixed and layered with the other unaccounted money generated by Singhal, by misusing her official position. Initially POC was generated from MNREGA scam only, which was subsequently intermixed with other unaccounted fund generated from the corrupt practices of Singhal and these funds were deployed as capital/investment and further funds were generated from these funds, both as legitimate profit as well as by further infusion of POC”.
“By this modus-operandi, Singhal amassed huge wealth disproportionate to her known source of income and source of funds invested in the immovable properties were primarily from the unaccounted cash profits generated from these POC,” ED added.
The Pulse super speciality hospital, which was attached by ED on Thursday, is run by her Singhal’s husband Abhishek Jha.
