IAS officer Pooja Singhal and her husband Abhishek Jha were denied passport release by the PMLA court in Ranchi, preventing their travel to the U.S. for their daughter’s admission. Both are facing investigation in a money laundering case.
The PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) Court in Ranchi has rejected a petition filed by suspended IAS officer Pooja Singhal and her husband Abhishek Jha seeking the release of their passports. The court’s decision has dealt a major setback to the couple, who wanted to travel to the United States for their daughter’s admission process. Both Singhal and Jha are under investigation in connection with a money laundering case linked to the MNREGA scam in Jharkhand. Pooja Singhal, a senior bureaucrat of the state, is accused of laundering money through irregularities in government schemes, while her husband, Abhishek Jha, is also facing legal scrutiny.
Court Refused Passport Plea
The couple had submitted separate applications on 8th May, requested the release of their passports, which are currently deposited with the court as part of the ongoing legal proceedings. They cited the urgent need to travel to the USA in August to complete formalities related to their daughter’s university admission. After hearing arguments from both the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the defence side, the special PMLA court of Judge S.N. Tiwary had reserved its verdict. On 30th June, the court finally delivered its judgment, refused to grant permission to release the passports. Now, as per the court order, Pooja Singhal will not be able to travel to the U.S. at present to meet her daughter or assist with her college admission.
Also Read: Jharkhand Administrative Officers Promoted to Higher Rank
Also Read: Major IAS Reshuffle in Jharkhand: 57 Officers Transferred, Several Assigned Additional Charges
