The Enforcement Directorate (ED) team today started interrogating Hazaribagh -based coal trader Izhar Ansari in a case of money laundering involving suspended senior IAS officer Pooja Singhal. The development took place after Ansari turned up before the central probe agency office in Hinoo.

The ED interrogating Izhar Ansari assumes importance as on March 3, the ED recovered Rs 3 crore 58 lakh cash and many property documents after it raided Ansari’s residence in Millat Colony at Pelawal in Hazaribagh.

Sources said that Ansari's name is related to the Coal Linkage episode. Suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal is involved in this. The ED had raided 14 locations across the state in the matter. It is said that Ansari made illegal income from coal on a large scale when suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal was the mines secretary.

It is being said that there are more than 12 shell companies in the name of Ansari. In the name of these shell companies, the money of coal smuggling was used to move here and there through hawala. The ED team got involved in the investigation after obtaining the documents of all the shell companies. Ansari has been associated with the coal business for the last 40 years. Sources said that Ansari is also said to be an aide of one of the accused in MNREGA scam.

The ED had on February 23 arrested Virender Ram, the chief engineer working with Rural Development Department of Jharkhand Government in connection with the case. The ED team took him to Ranchi where his arrest was made.

The ED had initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by Jharkhand Police and Vigilance Bureau Jharkhand.

"Investigation revealed that the Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from the MGNREGA scam in the form of commission was deposited in different bank accounts belonging to Pooja Singhal and her relatives. The said POC was mixed and layered with the other unaccounted money generated by Singhal, by misusing her official position," the ED claimed.

The probe agency has said that initially the POC was generated from MGNREGA scam only, which was subsequently intermixed with other unaccounted funds generated from the corrupt practices of Pooja Singhal and these funds were layered as investment and further funds were generated from these funds, both as legitimate profit as well as by further infusion of POC.

"By this modus-operandi, Singhal amassed huge wealth disproportionate to her known source of income, and source of funds invested in these immovable properties were primarily from the unaccounted cash profits generated from these POC and therefore termed as POC," the ED has alleged.

The Supreme Court on January 3 had granted interim bail to Pooja Singhal, Jharkhand cadre IAS officer suspended in a money laundering case, to look after her ailing daughter. The former state mines department secretary in Jharkhand, had been in custody since May last year, after raids were conducted at properties connected with her. She has been accused of money laundering.