MNREGA scam: J'khand's Rural Development Dept Chief engineer arrested

NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday arrested Virender Ram, the chief engineer working with the Rural Development Department of the Jharkhand government, in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged embezzlement of MNREGA funds.

Ram was summoned by the ED to join the investigation. After hours-long questioning on Wednesday night, he was placed under arrest on Thursday morning in Ranchi.

The ED had initiated its ongoing investigation into the case on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by the Jharkhand Police and the state's Vigilance Bureau.

In connection to the case, the probe agency had attached properties worth Rs 82 crore of suspended IAS official Pooja Singhal last December.

"Investigation revealed that Proceeds of Crime (POC) generated from the MNREGA Scam in form of commission was deposited in different bank accounts belonging to Pooja Singhal and her relatives. The said POC was mixed and layered with the other unaccounted money generated by Singhal, by misusing her official position," the ED has claimed.

The ED had said that initially POC was generated from MNREGA scam only, which was subsequently intermixed with other unaccounted fund generated from the corrupt practices of Pooja Singhal and these funds were layered as investment and further funds were generated from these funds, both as legitimate profit as well as by further infusion of POC.

"By this modus-operandai, Singhal amassed huge wealth disproportionate to her known source of income and source of funds invested in these immovable properties were primarily from the unaccounted cash profits generated from these POC and therefore termed as POC," the agency alleged.

Singhal was arrested by the ED on May 11, 2022 and prosecution complaint was filed against her on July 5.

Three prosecution complaints have been filed by the ED so far.