Bureaucrat Gets 1-Month Bail In Rural Jobs Scheme Money Laundering Case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim bail for one month to the former Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds.

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.

Earlier the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Enforcement Directorate to former Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal's bail plea.

Pooja Singhal has moved the SC to challenge the Jharkhand High Court which denied him bail in the matter.

In May, the Enforcement Directorate arrested Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal on Wednesday 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).

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