Ranchi (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a fifth supplementary charge sheet before a PMLA Special Court in Ranchi on Tuesday regarding the MGNREGA scam in Jharkhand’s Khunti district. The latest filing names five additional accused, including the close relatives of IAS officer Pooja Singhal.
The newly named individuals include Singhal’s mother Kamlesh Singhal, her brother Siddharth Singhal, and her mother-in-law Amita Jha. The charge sheet also names Radheshyam Fireworks LLP and Pawan Kumar Singh (brother of Chartered Accountant Suman Kumar).
Money Laundering and Concealment
The ED alleges that these individuals concealed and laundered proceeds of crime linked to large-scale irregularities in Khunti’s MGNREGA schemes. As part of the proceedings, the agency sought the attachment of a 17-decimal plot in Ranchi’s Boreya area. The ED claims the accused acquired this land, valued at approximately ₹1.33 crore, using illicit funds.
The case stems from 16 FIRs registered by the Jharkhand Police and the State Vigilance Bureau. Investigations reveal that between 2009 and 2011, officials allegedly siphoned off nearly ₹18.06 crore out of the ₹24 crore sanctioned for development works through fraudulent execution and inflated billing.
Role of Pooja Singhal
The ED identifies Pooja Singhal, the then Deputy Commissioner of Khunti, as the central figure in the scam. The agency alleges she facilitated approvals in exchange for commissions of up to five percent and provided patronage to involved officials. She reportedly routed these proceeds through relatives, associates, and benami entities to mask their origin.
Specific findings suggest:
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Amita Jha and Siddharth Singhal allegedly infused laundered funds as share capital into a private firm.
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Radheshyam Fireworks LLP purchased the Boreya land parcel using laundered money.
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Pawan Kumar Singh and Kamlesh Singhal acted as nominal partners to hide the actual ownership of the property.
Previous Actions
Earlier in the investigation, the ED filed a prosecution complaint against eight accused, including Pooja Singhal, her husband Abhishek Jha, and Suman Kumar. A major breakthrough occurred on May 6, 2022, when the agency recovered ₹19.31 crore in cash from premises linked to Suman Kumar.
The ED confirmed that the Adjudicating Authority has already approved the provisional attachment of multiple assets as investigations continue.
