VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, Sept 29: Suspended IAS Pooja Singhal has been found to be using the mobile number of her cook, Amit Kumar, to make Facetime calls (video calls) to pass instructions to her trusted one apparently so that her communications are not detected and decoded.
The ED has said that the mobile number 8797099351 was issued in the name of her cook Amit Kumar. But she used his number to make Facetime calls.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has stated this in its supplementary prosecution complaint against Pooja Singhal, husband Abhishek Jha and others in the MNREGA scam before a Special PMLA court. Pooja Singh was arrested in May after a nationwide raid. The ED arrested their Chartered Accountant Suman Kumar Singh from whose residence the agency seized Rs. 17.79 Crore cash.
In fact it was revealed by Suman Kumar Singh during the course of questioning. He said that Pooja Singhal used to instruct him through Facetime call about the collections of the cash for which she used the number 8797099351 registered in the name of Amit Kumar. He said that most of the cash seized from his residence belonged to Pooja Singahl and he used to make investments and collect commission for her in cash.
Suman Singh has said that he gave Rs. 10 Lakh cash to Siddharth Singhal, brother of Pooja Singhal. Suman Kumar (Accused no. 7) has further stated in his statement that on a couple of occasions on the instruction of Abhishek Jha, he gave a cash amount to the tune of Rs.10 Lakhs about 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 as profit earned from Hospital as untainted. Suman Kumar also stated that during the period of the last 12 months he has handed over Rs.40-60 lakhs to Abhishek Jha on the instruction of Pooja Singhal.
