Ranchi: Hearing on the PIL filed to investigate the role of the then Deputy Commissioner Pooja Singhal in the MNREGA scam in Khunti will continue in the Jharkhand High Court. However, applicant Arun Kumar Dubey and his advocate Rajeev Kumar have been removed from this case. On Wednesday, the division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra and Justice Anand Sen converted this petition into suo motu cognizance and directed to transfer it to the competent bench. The court said that now only the competent bench will hear the case by appointing amicus curiae. On September 15, the High Court had reserved its decision after completing the hearing on the validity of the petition.
In this case, Arun Kumar Dubey had filed a petition and advocate Rajeev Kumar used to argue on his behalf. It may be known that Arun Kumar Dubey had filed a PIL raising the issue of MNREGA scam of about Rs 200 crore in Khunti. It has been said in the petition that 16 FIRs have been registered in this case in Khunti. Later, a surveillance investigation was conducted, but the surveillance-ACB did not investigate the role of the then Deputy Commissioner Pooja Singhal. He has requested ED and CBI to investigate it.
Earlier, the government raised questions on the validity of the petition and considered it not worthy of hearing. It was said by the government that the petition was not filed as per the rules. Therefore the petition should be cancelled. Whereas, on behalf of the applicant, the court was told that the government’s argument is not justified. After hearing both the sides, the court had reserved the decision.