Ranchi: Suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal has been granted bail by a special court in Ranchi on Saturday, providing her with significant relief. Singhal had filed a petition requesting her release from custody under the provisions of a new law related to prolonged judicial detention.
Singhal, who has been in custody since May 2022, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case. The case is being heard under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in the Ranchi special court. Earlier, the court had asked the Superintendent of Birsa Munda Central Jail to submit details about Singhal’s time in judicial custody. The superintendent confirmed that she had been incarcerated for approximately 28 months.
Singhal’s legal team argued that, according to the new law, individuals who have been in judicial custody for more than one-third of the maximum sentence they could face are eligible for bail. Based on this argument, the court granted her release.
Singhal, a 2000 batch IAS officer; the ED had filed a chargesheet against Singhal, accusing her of holding assets exceeding her known income. As the District Collector of Khunti, Chatra, and other areas, she allegedly accumulated over Rs 1.43 crore, far beyond her salary. During her tenure, the ED also linked her to the MNREGA scam in Khunti that took place between 2009 and 2010.
In May 2022, the ED conducted raids at multiple locations, including Singhal’s government and private residences, as well as those of her husband Abhishek Jha and her chartered accountant Suman Singh. The raids resulted in the recovery of Rs 19.31 crore in cash from Singh’s residence.
Though Singhal’s initial bail plea was rejected by the PMLA court, her legal team filed a fresh petition, invoking the new law. The court’s decision to grant bail marks a pivotal moment in her ongoing legal battle.
