VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Oct 1: Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Pooja Singhal is alleged to have invested cash money in real estate, including one such land at Kanke purchased in the name of M/s Radheyshyam Fireworks LLP where her chartered accountant Suman Kumar Singh made cash payment of Rs 1.33 crore to the seller.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) got the evidence of this cash payment from a calculation sheet found in the mobile phone of Suman Kumar Singh. A land broker Sujeet Singh who brokered the said land deal, confirmed the cash payment. Later on, Suman Kumar Singh conceded to have made the payment. However, he stated that he had paid Rs 1.28 crore, but, in the calculation sheet the amount was mentioned as Rs 1.33 Crore.
After the Pulse Hospital land deal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has cited another case where she laundered proceeds of crime by making such cash payments. Suman Kumar Singh had made cash payment of Rs. 3 crore to Ranchi-based builder Alok Sarawgi for the purchase of land
The ED has stated this in its prosecution complaint against Pooja Singhal in the MNREGA scam that took place in Khunti during the regime of Pooja Singhal as DC from February 2009 till July 2010. She was arrested and charge-sheeted along with Suman Kumar Singh.
This fact was further disclosed by Sujeet Singh. He said that he had brokered a land deal between the owner Kameshwar Narayan Tiwari and buyer M/s Radheyshyam LLP for purchase of land at Boriya under Kanke revenue circle. He said that apart from the negotiated price mentioned in the deed, a separate cash amount of Rs. 1.33 crore was paid by Suman Kumar Singh. He is the proprietor of this company and Pooja Singhal’s mother Kamlesh Singhal is the partner.
The ED has claimed that the cash amount was part of the proceeds of the crime belonging to Pooja Singhal. The ED has said that Suman Kumar Singh also utilized proceeds of crime in purchasing land in the name of this company.
“Rs 1.33 crore was given in cash for it which was part of proceeds of crime collected and accumulated by Suman Kumar Singh on behalf of Rooja Singhal. It is also seen that he was instrumental in managing the proceeds of crime generated by Pooja Singhal by way of making its investment in land and other assets on behalf of Pooja Singhal,” the prosecution complaint reads.
