By Satyajeet Kumar: The Enforcement Directorate has taken Jharkhand mining secretary and IAS Pooja Singhal's chartered accountant (CA) on remand for five days in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
CA Suman Kumar Suman Kumar was arrested by the ED and sent to Birsa Munda Central Jail after being produced before a special ED court late on Saturday evening.
According to sources, Abhishek Jha, husband of Pooja Singhal, has also been summoned by the ED for questioning.
The ED also recorded IAS Pooja Singhjal’s statement on Saturday after the agency seized over Rs 19 crore and documents linking her with the CM from two of her close aides.
The ED seized a total of 19.31 crore on Friday, of which 17 crore was recovered from the premises of Pooja Singhal’s chartered accountant, Suman Kumar. Additionally, Rs 1.8 crore was allegedly recovered from another location.
Now the ED is trying to find out where such a huge amount came from and why it was kept in the house.
Sources said that during the interrogation it was revealed that Suman, while working as a CA, also ran a finance company along with his brother Pawan Singh. Through his company, she invests money in the projects of many land traders and builders.
Besides, has also been allegedly managing the black earnings of officers, land traders and builders. Not only does she invest the money of the officers, but also works on many government projects by taking advantage of her better relationship with the officers. In Bihar too, Suman has bought land in many places in the last few years.
The ED suspects that Suman might have committed liaison in getting a loan for Pooja Singhal's husband Abhishek Jha's Pulse Hospital as well. Because most of the banks had refused to give loans to the hospital. Later, a private bank gave a loan of about 20 crores.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren is also under the scanner of the ED for allegedly granting a mining lease license to himself.
CM Hemant Soren had said that the BJP uses these agencies to make false claims, but it doesn't matter to him. "The BJP is trying to destabilise the government. JMM is very angry about this. Party workers and supporters had also reached the BJP office to protest. However, they were stopped," Soren had said.
