ED raids 18 locations linked to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren's aide

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at several locations as part of a money laundering investigation against Pankaj Mishra, the political representative of Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The raids were conducted at around 18 locations, including Sahibganj, Berhait and Rajmahal in connection with an alleged tender scam. The ED officials searched about 18 locations under sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Earlier, the ED had arrested suspended Jharkhand mining secretary Pooja Singhal in connection with alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds in the tribal state.Singhal was arrested after the central probe agency conducted raids at more than 18 places -- Ranchi, Chandigarh, Noida, Mumbai, Kollata, Muzaffarpur, Saharsa, and in several parts of NCR.Before arresting Singhal, the Enforcement Directorate had seized four cars of the suspended IAS officer's charted accountant Suman Kumar. An IANS reported a source saying that that 'someone else had made the payments for luxury cars, which was suspicious'.During the course of investigation, the ED had recovered Rs 19 crore in cash allegedly belonging to Singhal.The Enforcement Directorate on July 5 filed a 5000-page charge sheet in connection with MGNREGA fund scam involving Singhal and others before a special Jharkhand court.