The Jharkhand High Court has instructed the Enforcement Directorate to respond to a bail application filed by former IAS officer Puja Singhal, who was arrested in May 2022.
Singhal’s arrest followed raids conducted by the ED on properties linked to her as part of a money laundering investigation.
Singhal has sought bail after her previous petition was denied by a special PMLA court in Ranchi on September 26. The court is scheduled to hear the case again on November 22.
Accusations against Singhal include the misappropriation of funds through her roles as the mines secretary and deputy commissioner in various districts.
The Supreme Court previously dismissed her bail plea on April 29, affirming the decision made by the Jharkhand High Court. Justices Sanjeev Khanna and Dipankar Datta characterized the situation as an “extraordinary case,” citing serious concerns over the allegations.
The court noted that out of 17 prosecution witnesses, 12 have already been examined, and expressed hope for an expedited trial. “You wait for some time for bail. This is not a normal matter but an extraordinary case. There is something seriously wrong in this case.
We are not inclined to entertain the instant petition. We hope the trial will proceed expeditiously,” the justices remarked.
While the ED opposed the bail plea, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju highlighted that Singhal has spent a significant portion of her custody—481 out of 687 days—in the hospital. The bench acknowledged the severity of the charges against her and remarked, “The amount of cash recovered is also substantial.”
It further clarified, “This is not a normal but an extraordinary case. Had it been a normal case, we would have granted you bail.”
Singhal’s counsel, senior advocate Siddharth Agarwal, raised concerns about the lack of adequate medical facilities at Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, where she is held. The bench reassured Agarwal, saying, “Don’t worry. You are young enough. First it was your daughter and then something else.”
The Supreme Court had previously granted Singhal interim bail for two months on February 10, 2023, to care for her ailing daughter.
The ongoing case involves allegations of corruption linked to the implementation of MGNREGA, the central government’s flagship rural employment scheme. The ED has accused Singhal, a former secretary of the state mines department, of laundering money, claiming to have seized over ₹36 crore connected to alleged illegal mining activities.
In addition to Singhal, the ED also raided properties belonging to her businessman husband and a chartered accountant associated with them during the investigation.
