SC grants 2-months bail to suspended J’khand IAS officer in money laundering case

NEW DELHI, (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail for two months to the former Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds, for the purposes of attending to her daughter.

“We are inclined to grant interim bail to the petitioner for the purposes of attending to her daughter for a period of two months from the date of the release,” said a bench of justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Manoj Misra.

A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul also imposed various conditions including not visiting Jharkhand except for attending the court proceedings against her and not influencing witnesses among others. “We however, specifically direct the petitioner to stay away from any witness or make any endeavour to put pressure on the witnesses as has been alleged ….on the status report, failing which, we will be inclined to cancel the interim bail,” the court said, adding further, “The applicant/petitioner will not visit Jharkhand except for the date of hearing.”

Earlier the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate on former Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal’s bail plea. Pooja Singhal has moved the SC to challenge the Jharkhand High Court order which denied him bail in the matter.

In May, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds and other charges. She was the second arrest in this case as Chartered Accountant Suman Kumar is already arrested by ED on May 7. ED recovered Rs 17.51 crore from the premises of Kumar and Rs 1.8 crore from pulse Hospital. Singhal was arrested after ED got credible evidence of her connection with CA Suman Kumar.

Pooja Singhal is the secretary of the Department of Mines and Geology and the Managing Director of Jharkhand State Mineral Development Corporation Limited (JSMDC). (ANI)