Jharkhand illegal mining: JMM slams Centre for linking Pooja Singhal's case with CM Soren

On May 8, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) staged a protest in Ranchi against the Central government in connection with the Illegal Mining Case. The protest was led under the leadership of the district president for linking Pooja Singhal's corruption case with Chief Minister Hemant Soren and accused the Centre of misusing investigative agencies. JMM workers reached the BJP headquarters in Ranchi and protested against Enforcement Directorate's (ED) action and the saffron party for targeting CM Hemant Soren.

JMM holds protest against Central govt in Ranchi

Jharkhand IAS officer's CA arrested

On May 6, ED recovered Rs 17 crore in cash and many incriminating documents from a Jharkhand-based CA’s house. According to the sources, IAS officer Pooja Singhal's CA's premises were searched.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday arrested CA Suman Kumar under the anti-money laundering law in connection with a case linked to alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in Jharkhand's Khunti district as part of which state mining secretary and IAS officer Pooja Singhal and others were also raided. 

Kumar was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at around 5 pm in Ranchi. Speaking on the search operations, officials had alleged that the CA was "evasive in his replies" with regard to the alleged recovery of cash of around Rs 17.79 crore from his premises in Ranchi after the raids. The ED has alleged that Kumar, also a financial advisor, has links with IAS officer Pooja Singhal and her family. Notably, the agency has so far seized a total of Rs 19.31 crore in cash after conducting multiple raids in the day and also recorded the preliminary statement of Singhal during the searches.

The ED has been conducting massive search and seizure operations in many states with regard to allegations of money laundering in the MGNREGA scheme and also in relation to the Jharkhand illegal mining case, wherein as per reports over 18 locations across Jharkhand, Delhi, Mumbai, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are being searched. The ED action in the illegal mining case reveals something is amiss with the office of CM Soren as he holds the Mining and Environment portfolios in Jharkhand.

Image: ANI/REPUBLIC/TWITTER/@POOJASINGHALIAS