The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim bail to suspended Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case to look after her ailing daughter. A Bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Abhay Oka also directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to respond in three weeks to Singhal's main bail plea.
Appearing for the anti-money laundering probe agency, Additional Solicitor-General SV Raju said the plea was incorrect and devoid of merits. The top court, which has now listed the suspended IAS officer's plea for hearing on February 6, has imposed some conditions, including that she will not visit Ranchi unless a court case is listed for hearing in the city.
Singhal has been in custody since May 11 after raids were conducted at properties linked to her. The ED has accused Singhal, a former State Mines Department Secretary, of money laundering and said its team seized more than Rs 36 crore cash linked to alleged illegal mining as part of two separate money laundering investigations. Apart from the 2000-batch IAS officer, her businessman husband, a chartered accountant associated with the couple and others were also raided by the ED as part of a money laundering probe linked to a case of alleged corruption in the MGNREGA scheme. Singhal was suspended by the State Government following her arrest. Suman Kumar, a chartered accountant linked to Singhal, and her husband were also arrested.