ED attaches suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal's properties worth ₹82 crore
Pooja Singhal was arrested in a money laundering case linked to alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in Khunti district and some other suspicious financial transactions.
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties worth ₹82.77 crore of Pooja Singhal, a suspended IAS officer, in Ranchi.
The IAS officer was arrested in a money laundering case linked to alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in Khunti district and some other suspicious financial transactions. Singhal was posted as deputy commissioner (DC) of Khunti between February 16, 2009, and July 19, 2010.
The ED said the properties include one super speciality hospital ‘Pulse Super Speciality Hospital’, a diagnostics centre ‘Pulse Diagnostic and Imagining Centre’ and two land parcels situated in Ranchi.
The ED had initiated a money-laundering investigation against Singhal on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Jharkhand Police and Vigilance Bureau Jharkhand, the probe agency said.
“Investigation revealed that Proceeds of Crime generated from the MNREGA Scam in form of commission was deposited in different bank accounts belonging to Pooja Singhal & her relatives. The said POC was mixed and layered with the other unaccounted money generated by Pooja Singhal, by misusing her official position.,” the ED said in a statement.
“Initially POC was generated from MNREGA scam only, which was subsequently intermixed with other unaccounted fund generated from the corrupt practices of Pooja Singhal and these funds were deployed as capital/investment & further funds were generated from these funds, both as legitimate profit as well as by further infusion of POC. By this modus-operandai, Pooja Singhal amassed huge wealth disproportionate to her known source of income and source of funds invested in these immovable properties were primarily from the unaccounted cash profits generated from these POC and therefore termed as Proceeds of Crime,” the agency added.
In this case, all three arrested persons, including Singhal, are currently in judicial custody. Three prosecution complaint has been filed in this case and cognizance of all of these complaints have been taken by the special PMLA Court.
