Who is IAS Pooja Singhal, who amassed Rs 19 crore illegal cash? ED team busted ‘racket’

New Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted raids across the country in relation to the illegal mining case at around 5 am on Friday. This action has been taken at 25 locations of Jharkhand’s senior IAS officer Pooja Singhal and several other persons associated with her.

News agency ANI reported that the investigation agency recovered Rs 19.31 crore from the residence of Pooja Singhal during the raids. Investigating officers called for a counting machine and counted the cash. However, there is no official confirmation from the ED of getting the cash.

Some amount of cash was also seized from the house of a charted accountant close to Singhal. Late in the night, the officials carried the cash and documents in buses after stuffing them in several boxes.

Meanwhile, Singhal’s father-in-law has also been arrested from her house in Madhubani, Bihar. Reports also suggest that a team of ED has also detained the brother of the charted accountant related to the case.

Who is Pooja Singhal? 

Pooja Singhal is a senior IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, she is currently posted as Secretary of Industries and Mines in the state. Prior to this, Pooja was working as Agriculture Secretary in the BJP government. Even during the controversial MNREGA scam, Pooja was posted in Khunti as a Deputy Collector.

This isn’t the first time Singhal has been facing allegations of corruption. Previously, when Pooja was serving on the post of deputy commissioner in the Khunti and Palamu districts, she was accused of irregularities.

In the recent development, raids are also been conducted at the residence of Pooja Singhal’s husband Abhishek. After divorcing IAS officer Rahul Purwar, Pooja Singhal married Abhishek. ED officials are investigating a hideout on Abhishek’s Ratu Road residence.