VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Sept 30: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated that ex-Mining Secretary Pooja Singhal and her husband Abhishek Jha used Pulse Super Speciality Hospital for the purpose of money laundering and infused cash running into crores in its construction and operation. Pooja Singhal has worked as DC of Khunti, Chatra and Palamu.
The hospital building was constructed by M/s Unique Construction. Akshat Katyal, one of the partners in this construction company said that he received Rs. two crore in cash from Pooja Singhal and Abhishek Jha at their residence in 2020 for the purpose of purchasing construction material and payment to labourers.
Akshat Katyal has told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) he looked after the construction of this hospital from September-October, 2019 till January 2022 on behalf of M/s Unique Construction. “The main decision maker or the main person dealing with me on behalf of Pulse Super Specialty Hospital was Mrs. Pooja Singhal. IAS, the wife of Mr. Abhishek Jha…..” Akshat Katyal stated before the ED.
The ED arrested Pooja Singhal in May during the course of the investigation of the MNREGA scam in Khunti district when she was the Deputy Commissioner. The scam is worth Rs 18.06 crore. The ED in the prosecution complaint has stated that Pooja Singhal and her husband laundered the proceeds of the crime of the MNREGA scam during the construction of the hospital. Akshat Katyal has further told the ED that both have made a huge cash payment for the purpose of purchase of building materials for the construction of the hospital. On scrutiny, the company is found to have received a total payment of Rs. 6.19 Crore.
CA Suman Singh infused a huge cash amount into cash counter of hospital
Suman Singh is their Chartered Accountant and he was arrested for associating with Pooja Singhal in the money laundering. Suman Singh has confessed that on a couple of occasions, he gave cash amounts to the tune of Rs.10 lakh four to five times, at the cash counter of Pulse Hospital to make false bills to inflate the receipt of Pulse hospital. Therefore, this was basically done to accommodate the ill-earned money of Pooja Singhal in Pulse Hospital and project the same profit earned from the hospital as untainted.
The money laundering pattern changed after their marriage in 2011
They married in June 2011 and after that, the pattern of laundering changed. The ED said that before marriage Pooja Singhal used to deposit tainted money in her own bank account. And after their marriage, the cash deposits were made in the accounts of Abhishek Jha, and later after the incorporation of M/s Pulse Sanjeevani Healthcare Private Limited cash was adjusted in the construction, procurement, and accounts of Pulse Diagnostic as well as Pulse Sanjeevani Super Speciality Hospital. The ED has stated that from FY 2012-13 onward the total credit in the bank accounts of M/s Pulse Sanjeevani Healthcare Private Limited was more than the total turnover of the company in the respective FY.
Hospital and its assets undervalued
Facts were concealed and fabricated to hide the crime. The hospital is actually worth Rs. 42.85 crore but was undervalued to Rs. 13.19 crore. Further the actual valuation of the Diagnostic space on the 1st floor, the Orchid building was not disclosed. The value of this property as on February 2012 should be at Rs 2.70 crore while the same was purchased at Rs. 1 crore. The purchase of the said space was made in the name of Abhishek Jha and the sellers were Vinod Kumar Pandey, Bimal Kumar, Anju Pandey and Usha Pandey. The first payment of eight lakh was made in cash by the purchaser and the remaining payment was through account transfers by 16 transactions. Abhishek Jha made the payment through his ICICI account. Usha Construction was the confirming party of this deal.
Similarly, plant and machinery are shown worth Rs 26.44 crores while the actual value is Rs 31.16 crore. A payment of Rs 3 crore was made to the city-based builder for the purchase of land where the hospital is situated.
