Major relief for Jharkhand IAS officer as court rejects ED’s petition on posting

THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK

Ranchi, Feb 21: In a significant relief for IAS officer Pooja Singhal, the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court has rejected a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The agency had requested the court to bar Singhal from being assigned any department. After hearing arguments from both ED and Singhal’s counsels, the court delivered its verdict in her favour.

Court Declines to Intervene

The ED had argued that if the state government assigned Pooja Singhal a department, she could misuse her position and influence the ongoing case. However, the court ruled that the state government has the authority to decide her posting and that it would not interfere in the matter.

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Pooja Singhal’s Arrest and Investigation Details

Pooja Singhal, accused of the MNREGA scam, was arrested by the ED on May 11, 2022. Prior to her arrest, on May 5, 2022, the ED had conducted raids at 25 locations linked to her, uncovering crucial evidence of unaccounted money and undisclosed investments. During the operation, officials seized ₹19.31 crore in cash from the residence and office of her chartered accountant, Suman Singh.

Current Status: Appointed as IT Secretary

After spending time in jail, Pooja Singhal was released on December 7 under the BNS Act. Though she remains an accused in the money laundering case, her suspension was revoked by legal provisions. The government has appointed her as the Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and e-Governance.