VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, May 12: The cushion and the comforts have been withdrawn, the most celebrated and perhaps the most powerful IAS officer in Jharkhand, Pooja Singhal had never imagined that the Birsa Munda central jail would be her new address for the crime she allegedly committed as a public servant.
She was arrested on Wednesday evening by the Enforcement Directorate under the money laundering charges. She has been accused of patronizing scams in the MNREGA project in Khunti where she served as Deputy Commissioner from February 16, 2009, till July 19, 2010.
Lodged at Birsa Munda Central Jail she was kept in the cell meant for women inmates. She was offered bread and vegetables for dinner. She complained of restlessness and requested the jail authority to provide her with medicine to control her blood pressure. A jail constable was apparently sent to her residence to collect the medicine.
In the year 2000, she was only 21 years 7 days old when she cracked the IAS examination and became a role model for youths. She was the youngest ever IAS in the country, some said. Her name was mentioned in the Limca Book of Records. She served as DC of Chatra, Palamu, and Khunti. She left footprints of alleged corruption.
Two decades later the lady who was once the role model of youths suddenly became an object of scorn. She will not probably forget her journey from the ED office at the Airport Road to the residence court of the PMLA judge on Kanke Road. In the custody of the ED, she was taken to the residence court for production. The car in which she was taken by the ED was caught in a massive traffic jam at Kishoreganj. By this time the news regarding her arrest had flashed. As the car stopped, girls, youngsters, and other common people swarmed near the car. They took out their smartphones and started clicking her picture. The flash of fame had gone and it had dimmed to ignominy.
“She is the same IAS officer whom the ED arrested. What incorrigible IAS and IPS of Jharkhand will do with such huge money that they have looted. What a shame,” one of them shouted.
The window of the car was firmly locked, she might not be hearing the abuse heaped and hurled upon this elite class by hoi polloi. All these continued for 10 minutes and she was silently bearing. She did not deserve all these. She can’t be prosecuted by any public trial on the basis of hearsays. The jury is still out and the debate is going on about why the elite class lost public trust.
