The Enforcement Directorate submitted a fourth supplementary chargesheet in a Special Court in Ranchi, implicating five individuals in the misappropriation of government funds from developmental projects, including MNREGA, in Khunti district, Jharkhand. The accused named in the chargesheet are Amita Jha, Siddharth Singhal, Radheyshyam Fireworks LLP, Pawan Kumar Singh, and Kamlesh Singhal under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The ED alleged that these individuals were actively involved in the layering and integration of Proceeds of Crime.
Investigations by the Enforcement Directorate revealed that the accused played a significant role in the illegal handling of funds acquired through criminal activities. The chargesheet also included a request to the court for the confiscation of 17 decimal land in Ranchi, valued at Rs 1.33 crore, which was allegedly purchased using proceeds of crime. The ED’s probe was initiated based on multiple FIRs filed by the Jharkhand Police and the Vigilance Bureau against government officials, including Ram Binod Prasad Sinha, a former Junior Engineer.
The investigation uncovered that around Rs 24 crore was allocated for developmental projects in Khunti district between 2009 and 2011, out of which Rs 18.06 crore was embezzled through fictitious and substandard project executions. It was further revealed that Pooja Singhal IAS, the then Deputy Commissioner of Khunti, was a key beneficiary of the fraudulent scheme, allegedly receiving cash commissions equivalent to 5% of project funds disbursed in exchange for approving projects and protecting errant officials from disciplinary actions.
