The Supreme Court refused to grant bail to ex-IAS officer Pooja Singhal in a money laundering case pending against her over alleged embezzlement of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 ( MNREGA ) funds.
Singhal, the petitioner was arrested in 2022 over allegations of embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in Khunti district during 2009-2010 and some other suspicious financial transactions. The case of the ED was that Singhal used to receive a 5% “illegal commission” in development projects in Khunti from funds she disbursed for the works under MGNREGA.
In February 2023, Singhal was granted bail by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul led Bench to attend to her daughter for two months. Thereafter, she surrendered.
On the other hand, it was argued that 16 FIRs had been registered in the case (and chargesheets filed), but Singhal was not accused in any. The acts are attributed to 4 specific persons, who have been identified. After 8 years, one of these persons has stated 5% commission being given to Singhal.
The two-judge Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta held that “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned judgment and hence special leave petition is dismissed…We hope and trust that the trial will proceed expeditiously.” The petitioner is given liberty to revive the prayer for bail in case of changed circumstances, or if the trial gets prolonged due to reasons not attributable to her/co-accused. The decision came as ED informed the court that 12 out of 17 witnesses sought to be examined had already been deposed.
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