VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 12: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday morning carried out a search operation on the premises of Ranchi-based builder Govind Sarawgi in connection with the money laundering probe against Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal and her husband Abhishek Jha besides chartered accountant Suman Singh among others.
Besides the involvement of Pooja Singhal in the MNREGA scam in the Khunti district, the enforcement agency is also investigating whether or not the slush money was laundered in the construction of the Pulse Hospital.
Sources have confirmed that the Pulse Hospital is now the centre stage of the money laundering probe.
The hospital is owned by Abhishek Jha and he had purchased land from the builder Govind Sarawgi. The land itself is controversial as it is said to be a tribal land of ‘bhuihari’ nature that cannot be sold and purchased.
At 6:30 AM as many as five officials of the ED came to the residence of Govind Sarawgi on Kanke road and demanded documents of the land besides sale deeds. They also questioned Govind Sarawgi who is said to be not keeping good health. Govind Sarawgi belongs to a builder family and he owns Panchvati Construction. The ED officials also questioned his son Alok Sarawgi and inquired how they sold the land to Abhishek Jha for the purpose of constructing the Pulse Hospital and how much they were paid. Credible sources said Sarawagis claimed before the ED that they had purchased the land from a businessman Rungta. The ED has claimed that during the raids many incriminating documents were seized which are being examined.
