In a big relief to 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.
The court’s order has come at the time when Pooja Singhal was allotted new department after the court the reinstatement. On Tuesday, the Department of Personnel, Administrative Reforms and Official Language has issued its notification. The Personnel Department has issued an order for the transfer posting of 15 officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). As per the notification, Singhal has been appointed as the Secretary of the Department of Information Technology and e-Governance. She will also have the additional charge of Chief Executive Officer of Jharkhand Communication Network Limited.
Earlier, 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.
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.
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 Though she remains an accused in the money laundering case, her suspension was revoked by legal provisions.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.
A 2000-batch IAS officer, Singhal was recently reinstated after spending nearly 28 months in judicial custody over her alleged involvement in the MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) scam in Khunti district. The ED had arrested her in connection with a money laundering case, accusing her of amassing disproportionate assets through fraudulent means.
Lawyers abstain from court work
Lawyers from Ranchi District Bar Association (RDBA) abstained from work on Friday against the recent draft of the Advocates (Amendment) Bill proposed by the Union Law Ministry which would, in effect, prohibit advocates from boycotting and abstaining from courts’ work.
The circular drafted by the committee on Sunday said it unanimously took the decision against the “proposed unjust, unfair and biased” Bill proposed by the government of India. “The Bill is totally against the unity, integrity and dignity of Advocates but also draconian in nature. It will directly affect the autonomy of all Bar Associations and Bar Council of all states,” it read.
