New Delhi, Sep 24: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the bail plea of suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal, facing the Enforcement Directorate in the Jharkhand money laundering case.
The Court passed the order on the bail plea filed by Singhal on money laundering case and ED probing the money trail in the case.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra argued on behalf of Pooja Singhal and requested the court to grant bail.
Strongly opposing the plea, the Assistant Solicitor General SV Raju presented on behalf of ED had submitted that the interrogation of the officer was required as he was not cooperating with the investigation.
The agency had stated that the role of Singhal in the money laundering case was still being probed and granting her bail will adversely affect the investigation.
In a written statement, Raju had submitted that Singhal appears to be connected with the serious economic offence allegedly committed by her.
After hearing the arguments of both parties, the top court fixed October 30 for the next hearing on the bail application.
It is noteworthy that suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal on April 12 surrendered before the special PMLA court after her interim bail period ended. She was sent to Birsa Munda Central Jail under judicial custody.
Singhal is accused in MGNREGA scam and money laundering case, which is being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Supreme Court (SC) had granted a two-month interim bail to Singhal on ground of her daughter’s illness. After that Singhal filed a petition for a regular bail.
The special PMLA court had framed the charges against Singhal, her husband’s chartered accountant Suman Kumar and former engineer Sashi Prakash under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA Act. Her husband Abhishek Jha was granted anticipatory bail by the Supreme Court.
