Delhi/Ranchi, September 25, 2026: Jharkhand IAS officer Pooja Singhal has not received relief from the Supreme Court in the money laundering case against her. The top court has refused, at this stage, to quash the lower court's order taking cognizance of the alleged offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
A Bench headed by the Chief Justice, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohana, kept the issue of prosecution sanction open for consideration at the appropriate stage of the trial. The court observed that the question involves a mixed issue of law and facts and would have to be examined along with the evidence.
Prosecution Sanction Becomes Key Legal Issue
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), submitted that the Special Court had taken cognizance of the case in 2022 and that proceedings had already commenced.
Appearing for Pooja Singhal, senior advocate Meenakshi Arora argued that prior sanction under Section 197 of the then Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was required before prosecuting a public servant.
The defence also argued that the allegations under the PMLA were connected with her official functions and therefore the requirement of prosecution sanction was an important legal issue.
Court Refers to Cash Recovery
During the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi referred to the recovery of more than Rs 19 crore in cash in connection with the case. However, the Supreme Court did not give any final finding on the prosecution-sanction issue at this stage.
The Bench observed that it would have to be examined whether the alleged offence was committed while the officer was performing her official duties. The question of sanction has therefore been left open to be decided at the appropriate stage of the trial on the basis of the evidence.
Arrest in 2022
The ED had conducted searches at several locations linked to Pooja Singhal in May 2022 during its investigation into alleged financial irregularities in the implementation of the MGNREGA scheme in Jharkhand.
She was arrested on May 11, 2022. After spending more than two years in custody, she was granted bail. Her suspension was subsequently revoked.
Earlier Petition Before Jharkhand High Court
Pooja Singhal had challenged the July 19, 2022 order of the Special PMLA Court in Ranchi, through which cognizance was taken in ECIR No. 3/2018.
Before the Jharkhand High Court, her side had argued that prosecution sanction under Section 197 of the CrPC was required before taking cognizance of offences under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA. The High Court, however, dismissed her petition.
With the Supreme Court's latest order, the PMLA proceedings against Pooja Singhal will continue, while the issue of prosecution sanction remains open for determination at the appropriate stage of the trial.
