Ranchi, March 30 (IANS) The ED filed a fourth supplementary chargesheet in Special Court (PMLA), Ranchi, against five accused in connection with the embezzlement of government funds from developmental schemes, including MNREGA, in Khunti district of Jharkhand, an official said on Monday.​

The Enforcement Directorate, Ranchi Zonal Office, has filed a chargesheet against Amita Jha, Siddharth Singhal, Radheyshyam Fireworks LLP, Pawan Kumar Singh, and Kamlesh Singhal under the PMLA, 2002.​

Investigation revealed that the five newly arraigned accused actively facilitated the layering and integration of Proceeds of Crime, the ED said.​

While filing the chargesheet, the ED also pleaded before the court for approval to confiscate 17 decimal land situated at Mouza Boriya, Ranchi, acquired with proceeds of Crime amounting to Rs 1.33 crore, said an official statement.​

The ED initiated an investigation based on 16 FIRs registered by the Jharkhand Police and the Vigilance Bureau against serving government officials, including Ram Binod Prasad Sinha, the then Junior Engineer.​

Investigation revealed that approximately Rs 24 Crore was released for the execution of various developmental works in Khunti district during 2009-2011, of which Rs 18.06 crore was defalcated through fictitious and grossly sub-standard execution of works, the ED said.​

Investigation further established that Pooja Singhal IAS, the then Deputy Commissioner, Khunti, was the principal beneficiary of this criminal conspiracy, systematically extracting cash commissions equivalent to 5 per cent of disbursed project funds in lieu of sanctioning projects and actively shielding the errant officials from departmental action, the ED said.​

The said proceeds of crime were subsequently re-invested through an elaborate network of benami entities, family proxies, and corporate structures, the ED said.​

In earlier phases of investigation, charge sheets were filed against eight accused persons, including Pooja Singhal, her husband Abhishek Jha, the chartered accountant and financial manager Suman Kumar, and M/s Pulse Sanjeevani Healthcare.​

During the course of the investigation, search operations were conducted across 24 premises of Pooja Singhal and her associates on May 6, 2022, leading to the recovery and seizure of Rs 17.49 crore in unaccounted cash from the residential premises of co-accused CA Suman Kumar at Ranchi.​

A total of Rs 1.82 crore was recovered from the premises of an associate, taking the total cash seizure in the case to Rs 19.31 crore.​

In addition, incriminating documents, financial records, bank statements, share certificates, corporate records, and digital devices containing critical evidence were seized, the statement said.​

The ED has provisionally attached properties of the accused across four Provisional Attachment Orders, which have been confirmed by the Adjudicating Authority (PMLA), it said.​

--IANS

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