ED grills Pooja Singhal for hours in MGNREGS scam

Never took money or promoted corruption, claims IAS Officer

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, May 10: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials quizzed Jharkhand IAS Officer Pooja Singhal for several hours in connection with the public money laundering case (PMLA) pertaining to the MGNREGS funds scam of around Rs 19.31 crore.

According to sources, Singhal denied the allegations against her and claimed she had not abetted or promoted corruption in any way. She said a departmental inquiry was ordered against her and that she was given a clean chit in the year 2017. She told the ED officials they could see her reply on a day to day basis.

The ED officials further questioned Singhal regarding the statement given by one Ram Binod Sinha that the DC office got five per cent commission. Singhal asked the officials whether Ram Binod had taken her name. She further said that people like Ram Binod Sinha and RK Jain, who were accused in the case, were levelling false allegations against her for reasons not known to her. She said she had neither taken any money nor was involved in any act of corruption, sources said.

The officials further questioned Singhal on giving all the work to Ram Binod Sinha, saying that his work was never audited. Singhal replied that she worked as per rules. When asked as to what action was taken by her on getting complaints against Ram Binod, Singhal said she would have to see the documents in order to be able to answer regarding the complaints and the action taken by her.

ED seizes 3 cars of Pooja Singhal’s CA in PMLA case

The Enforcement Directorate has seized three cars belonging to IAS officer Pooja Singhal’s Chartered Accountant (CA) Suman Kumar in connection with the prevention of money laundering case pertaining to the MGNREGA funds scam of around Rs 19 crore.

On Tuesday, Singhal appeared before the ED’s team in Ranchi. Her questioning is still going on. She is being asked about the recovery of the huge cash and her possible involvement in the matter. CA Kumar, who works for Singhal and her husband, was placed under arrest on Saturday following several raids. Kumar was then sent to five days’ ED custody. On Tuesday, the ED seized three cars belonging to him, terming them as proceeds of crime.

The ED had on Friday recovered Rs 19.31 crore and a few incriminating documents from the premises of Kumar.

Kumar, a CA of IAS official and mining secretary of Jharkhand Pooja Singhal, came on the radar during the course of investigation. Kumar also handles accounts of Singhal’s husband.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had on Friday morning conducted raids at more than 18 places.

The raids were conducted at Ranchi, Chandigarh, Noida, Mumbai, Kollata, Mujjafarpur, Saharsa, and in several parts of NCR including Faridabad and Gurugram.

The ED had also recorded the statements of the CA after seizing the whole cash. They had to take help of bank officials and a currency counting machine.

It is important to be note that Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren is also mining minister.