RANCHI: The appointment of IAS officer Pooja Singhal, out on bail in a money laundering case linked to the MGNREGA scam, as Secretary of the IT Department and CEO of Jharkhand Communication Network Ltd. has sparked controversy.The decision, taken despite legal objections raised by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has sparked considerable debate in political and administrative circles in the state. Notably, ED has already filed an application in the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court requesting to ensure that she should not be posted to any department in the state government. According to ED, if the state government gives the responsibility of any department to Pooja Singhal, then she may misuse her position and influence the case. A 2000-batch IAS officer, Singhal was arrested for allegedly embezzling crores of MGNREGA funds in Khunti. Singhal, after remaining in jail for 28 months, was granted bail by a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court in Ranchi on December 7, 2024. Following her release on bail, the state government revoked her suspension and reinstated her with effect from December 7, 2024. The special PMLA Court, after hearing the arguments from both sides on Monday, has kept its orders reserved, with the next hearing scheduled for February 27.
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