Pooja Singhal, the mining secretary of Jharkhand, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering case involving the suspected misappropriation of MGNREGA funds. Singhal was placed on a 5-day ED hold beginning May 12. Singhal was detained after being questioned by the central investigation agency in a money laundering case involving the suspected misappropriation of MGNREGA funding in Jharkhand’s Khunti district, among other allegations. Needless to say, the case has brought the attention of many people. Let us find out further details of the case here.
The arrests came after the ED conducted raids in Jharkhand and a few other locations on May 6 against her, Abhishek Jha, and others. Raids were carried out by the Enforcement Directorate in Ranchi, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Gurugram, Noida, Kolkata, Mumbai, Muzaffarpur, and Saharsa. Pooja Singhal, Jha, and Kumar were arrested by the ED on June 17, 2020, in West Bengal, as part of an investigation into a money laundering case in which Ram Binod Prasad Sinha, a former junior engineer in the Jharkhand government, was arrested.
Why Was IAS Pooja Singhal Arrested?
After being charged by the vigilance bureau for allegedly stealing public funds and investing them in his own name and the names of his family members while working as a junior engineer from April 1, 2008, to March 21, 2011, the ED launched an inquiry into Sinha. The money was designated for the implementation of MNREGA in the Khunti district, according to the central investigation agency. Sinha allegedly told the agency that he paid the district government a 5% commission (from the looted monies).
Pooja Singhal was accused of “irregularities” while serving as deputy commissioner/district magistrate in Chatra, Khunti, and Palamu districts between 2007 and 2013, according to the central investigation agency. Talking about the matter, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren stated on Wednesday that all possible legal actions will be taken by the state government on the matter.
Apart from renowned personalities, netizens are also reacting to the matter. Many have been bashing the officer for being involved in such kind of fraud and are slamming her for the same. It is indeed shameful for a secretary to get involved in such kind of activity that ruins her image as well as the department. Follow our site for more such updates.
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