The Supreme Court Today (April 29th) dismissed a plea of suspended Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Puja Singhal seeking bail in a money laundering matter, observing it is an “extraordinary case”.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court rejected a bail application from suspended Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Puja Singhal, who is embroiled in a money laundering case, declaring it an “extraordinary case”.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, presiding over the bench, decided not to overturn the Jharkhand High Court’s decision to deny her bail.
The justices noted that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had already examined 12 out of 17 prosecution witnesses. They expressed a desire for the trial to be completed quickly. During the proceedings, the court remarked,
“You wait for some more time for bail. This is not a normal matter but an extraordinary case. There is something seriously wrong in this case. We are not inclined to entertain the instant petition. We hope the trial will be concluded expeditiously.”
However, the court allowed Singhal the option to request bail again if the trial were unduly delayed or if circumstances changed. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the ED, argued against the bail, highlighting that Singhal had spent much of her custody in a hospital in Ranchi.
Previously, on February 10, 2023, Singhal had been granted interim bail for two months by the Supreme Court so she could care for her ill daughter. Singhal has been detained since May 11, 2022, following raids on properties connected to her related to the case.
The allegations involve corruption in the management of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a central government initiative aimed at enhancing rural employment.
The ED has accused Singhal, who formerly served as the secretary of the state’s mines department, of laundering money. It reported seizing over Rs 36 crore in cash linked to alleged illicit mining activities in two separate investigations.
In addition to Singhal, her husband, a businessman, a chartered accountant associated with the couple, and others have also been targeted by the ED in its investigation into money laundering. Following her arrest, Singhal was suspended from her official duties.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Money Laundering Cases
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