Amit

Her name is Pooja Singhal. She was born in Dehradun in 1978. At 21 she cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in her first attempt, securing All India Rank 10. She was among the youngest IAS officers of her batch. Her name was entered in the Limca Book of Records. At her interview, she reportedly pledged she would spend her career working for “the poorest of the poor.” She was posted to the Jharkhand cadre in 2000 as one of the first IAS officers of the newly formed state. She rose steadily through the bureaucracy. By 2022 she had become the Mining Secretary of Jharkhand, one of the most powerful positions in a mineral rich state. On May 6 2022, the Enforcement Directorate raided 18 premises linked to her across Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi and Punjab. At the Ranchi premises of her chartered accountant Suman Kumar, investigators recovered Rs 17.49 crore in cash. Banknote counting machines were brought in to count it. The total cash recovery across locations was reported at Rs 19.31 crore. Pooja Singhal was arrested on May 11 2022. ED investigators later traced part of the alleged money trail to Khunti district, where she had served as Deputy Commissioner between 2008 and 2011. The ED alleged that Rs 18.06 crore linked to MGNREGA funds had been embezzled during her tenure. MGNREGA is the government scheme that guarantees 100 days of paid work every year to rural households. The poorest of the poor. The ED also alleged that funds linked to the case were invested in a hospital associated with her husband. The agency later provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 82.77 crore linked to her in Ranchi. Her bail was rejected by the PMLA court in August 2022. Rejected again by the Jharkhand High Court in November 2022. Rejected by the Supreme Court in April 2024. During proceedings, the Supreme Court described it as an “extraordinary case” and remarked that there was “something seriously wrong.” She spent 28 months in jail. On December 7 2024, a special PMLA court granted her bail. The Jharkhand government revoked her suspension and reinstated her, effective the same date. The ED opposed her reinstatement. The PMLA court rejected the ED’s plea to bar her from a government posting, stating that it was beyond the court’s jurisdiction. The investigation and trial are still ongoing. At 21, she reportedly told the UPSC board she wanted to work for the poorest of the poor. The funds the ED alleges were embezzled were meant for exactly those people. Follow for verified stories India deserves to remember.

You pay ₹107 for 1 litre of petrol in Mumbai. Here's where it actually goes: - Crude oil cost: ~₹40 - Refining + transport: ~₹8 - Dealer commission: ~₹4 - Central excise duty: ~₹20 - State VAT (Maharashtra): ~₹35 Total government cut: ~₹55 per litre You pay ₹107. - government takes ₹55. - oil company gets ₹48. Every time you fill up ₹1,000 worth of petrol ₹514 goes to the government. Not the oil company. The government.