New Delhi: The political aide of Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Pankaj Mishra has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday in connection with a money laundering investigation being conducted against him and others, officials said as reported by news agency PTI. According to the officials, Mishra was arrested under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), and claimed that he was "evasive in his replies" during questioning.
The ED had earlier seized Rs 11.88 crore in 37 bank accounts of Pankaj Mishra and Dahoo Yadav, a person linked to him, under the PMLA Act, 2002. Earlier, the ED had conducted searches at 19 places in Sahibganj, Barhait, Rajmahal, Mirza Chowki and Barharwa following which various incriminating documents and unaccounted cash worth Rs 5.34 crore were seized on July 8. During the search operation, the ED said it had also seized five illegally operated stone crushers and shotgun cartridges at the site.
Earlier in the month of May, the federal agency conducted searches under PMLA at 36 places related to the MGNREGA scam after which Rs 19.76 crore in cash was seized. It also included the premises of IAS Pooja Singhal and her associates.
The ED said that the evidence collected during the investigation showed that the bulk of the seized cash was received from illegal mining and was obtained from senior bureaucrats and politicians.
Pooja and Chartered Accountant Suman Kumar were arrested in this case and are currently in judicial custody. A prosecution complaint has been lodged in this case. A total of Rs 36.58 crore in cash and bank balance generated illegally from mining has been seized by the ED in the case.