ED ARRESTS J’KHAND MINING SECRETARY CA OVER MGNREGS FUND FRAUD

DELHI/RANCHI: Suman Kumar, a chartered accountant associated with Jharkhand’s mining secretary Pooja Singhal, was arrested on Saturday by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with ₹19.31 crore in cash recovered a day earlier.

Acting on a tip on the possibility of huge cash being stored by certain persons, the central agency had on Friday conducted raids at multiple premises, including that of Singhal and her family, in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the alleged embezzlement of over ₹18 crore MGNREGS funds in Khunti district of the state during 2008-11, officials said.

The central agency also recorded statement of Singhal during Friday’s raid at her office and residence, people familiar with the development said. Investigators are now planning to summon her under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Singhal is a 2000 batch Indian Administrative Service officer and was earlier posted as deputy commissioner in Khunti district.

Kumar, who is financial advisor for Singhal and her family, was arrested after hours of questioning on Saturday. Of the ₹19.31 crore cash recovered on Friday, ₹17.79 crore was recovered from Kumar’s premises. “During his questioning, the chartered accountant was evasive about the end use and beneficiaries of so much cash,” an official said, seeking anonymity. “We have recovered certain incriminating documents, which have entries against certain individuals’ names to whom this cash was to be delivered. We will soon call these individuals for questioning.”