MGNREGA funds fraud case: ED raids locations linked to Jharkhand mining secretary IAS Pooja Singhal; seizes over Rs 19 cr cash

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple premises, including that of Jharkhand Mining Secretary Pooja Singhal and her family, in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of over Rs 18 crore MGNREGA funds in Khunti district of the state during 2008-11, officials said.

The agency seized a total of Rs 19.31 crore cash from two premises that were searched in the state capital Ranchi.

About Rs 17.51 crore cash has been recovered from the premises of a Ranchi-based Chartered Accountant-cum-financial advisor whose links with the IAS officer and her family are under the scanner, they said.

Around Rs 1.8 crore cash has also been recovered from another location in the city, they said.

ED raid at a location linked to IAS Pooja Singhal underway in Ranchi, Jharkhand. Several trunks were loaded in a bus amidst tight security by CRPF. pic.twitter.com/sNtawV81Z0 — ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2022

The officials said a number of "incriminating documents that indicate political and higher bureaucracy links with alleged illegal mining activities in the state" have been seized.

The raids were carried out under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at about 18 premises in Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, and a few other states, they said.

The officials said the premises of Singhal, an IAS officer and secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology of the Jharkhand government, in the state capital, Ranchi, are also being covered as part of the action.

Singhal is a 2000 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and was posted as the deputy commissioner in the Khunti district earlier.

A few other locations in Ranchi, including a multi-specialty hospital, were also raided by ED officials who were provided a security escort by the personnel of the central paramilitary force CRPF.

Documents recovered during the raids show that the "declared value" of the hospital premise is Rs 3 crore, they said, adding the promoters of the facility and their links are being probed further.