New Delhi/Ranchi: The Income Tax Department
on Wednesday sealed some rooms and almirahs at the Ranchi residence
of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda, embroiled in
the alleged hawala transaction and illegal investments running
into crore of rupees, even as the Enforcement Directorate
served summons to him at the hospital where he is admitted.
Tax department officials said the searches are still on
and they had issued prohibitory orders after sealing the
properties of Koda and his associates across the country.
The prohibitory orders are issued under Section 132 of
the Income Tax Act whenever any property or material is seized
by the department.
A team of ED officials which reached Ranchi yesterday
have taken possession of documents relating to alleged hawala
transaction surfaced during the IT searches.
The former Jharkhand Chief Minister and seven of his
associates, facing charges of money laundering, have been
summoned by the ED for questioning on alleged hawala
transactions and investments, the officials said.
They said the summons were served to Koda yesterday at
the hospital in Ranchi where he was admitted following
complaints of high blood pressure and stomach ache.
Both the ED and the Income Tax department have started
scrutiny of the documents related to alleged hawala
transactions and investments running into more than Rs 2,000
crore by Koda and his associates, they said.
The Income Tax department, which is carrying out search
operations in Ranchi and Mumbai even today, was collecting
information and documents sent by various directorates of the
IT department from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Lucknow, Nasik, and
Jamshedpur.
Koda and at least eight others have been accused of
amassing property worth hundreds of crores of rupees including
in other countries like UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore
and Liberia.
The ED had earlier filed an Enforcement Case Information
Report (equivalent to an FIR) before the Prevention of Money
Laundering Act court in Ranchi against Koda, his cabinet
colleagues Kamlesh Singh, Bhanu Pratap Shahi and Bhandu Tirkey
besides five others.
In the meantime, the condition of Koda was stable today
after he got himself admitted to the hospital with complaints
of high blood pressure and stomach ache.
"His stomach ache is under control and blood pressure
has come down," said Javed Akhtar, Public Relations Officer of
the Abdur Razzak Memorial Weavers` Hospital, where Koda is
admitted.
Bureau Report
