Jharkhand High Court disposes of MNREGA scam PIL linked to Pooja Singhal
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, Jan 27: The Jharkhand High Court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the investigation into…
Pooja Singhal/File photo
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, Jan 27: The Jharkhand High Court, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the investigation into the alleged involvement of then Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Khunti, Pooja Singhal, in the MNREGA scam, has disposed of the case after completing its hearing.
A division bench, headed by Chief Justice MS Ramchandra Rao, stated that there are no unresolved issues in the matter as both the police and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) have completed their investigations, and a charge sheet has been filed. Advocate Piyush Chitresh represented the state government in the case.
The scam involved allegations of financial irregularities amounting to over ₹200 crore in MNREGA schemes in Khunti district. At the time, Pooja Singhal served as the Deputy Commissioner. In this case, 16 FIRs were registered across various police stations in the district. The investigation was initially conducted by the Khunti Police but was later transferred to the ACB.
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Notably, the State Government has revoked Pooja Singhal’s suspension after the Special (ED) Court granted her bail in the MNREGA scam.
Arun Kumar Dubey, who had brought the allegations, claimed that while the ACB investigated the case, it did not properly examine the role of Pooja Singhal. He pointed out that the cheques linked to the irregularities were signed by the then Deputy Commissioner herself. Dubey also requested the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to probe her involvement.
Dubey had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding an investigation into Pooja Singhal’s role. Subsequently, the High Court took suo motu cognizance of the matter.
Dubey to Challenge Order in Supreme Court
In response to the High Court’s decision, Dubey’s counsel, Rajiv Kumar—who had earlier been removed from the case by the High Court—announced plans to challenge the order in the Supreme Court. He mentioned that a petition to review his removal from the case is still pending.
