Ranchi/New Delhi, Nov 3 (Inditop.com) Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, under the scanner for allegedly amassing over Rs.2,000 crore (Rs.20 billion / $425 million) illegally, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Apollo Hospital in Ranchi as raids continued at his premises for the fourth consecutive day Tuesday.
Income Tax (IT) officials were questioning Koda at his Ranchi residence when he said that he was feeling uneasy. Koda has a history of medical problems.
“He was admitted after complaining of stomach ache, vomiting and high blood pressure. We are conducting tests and will be able to say anything after the test reports,” D.P Sinha, a doctor at the hospital, told Inditop.
“His condition is now stable,” he said.
Koda was operated upon a fortnight ago after he complained of stomach pain.
The Lok Sabha MP returned home from the hospital last week when the IT department started raiding his houses and other properties.
Both the Enforcement Directorate and the IT department, which is leading the probe, are investigating disproportionate assets amassed by Koda and his associates. They have already conducted raids at 70 places in eight cities and discovered documents relating to illegal transactions worth Rs.20 billion.
The Enforcement Directorate has already charged Koda with investing $1.7 million in a coal mine in Liberia through a Russian middleman.
Investigators told Inditop that they were still trying to unravel investments made at different places, the network used to invest money and people involved in the illegal transactions.
“This is a big network and money was funnelled illegally to countries abroad,” said a finance ministry official. The investigations have now fanned out to five countries.
An official press release on Monday said the IT department is continuing its search and seizure operations under provisions of the Income Tax Act and has summoned six people for questioning.
The six who have been asked to appear before the department Nov 6 are Vinod Kumar Sinha, Sanjay Chaudhary, Devendra Mukhiya, Basant Bhattacharya, Manoj Punamiya and Anil Bastawde. Sinha and Chaudhary are close associates of Koda.
“If they fail to appear on the said date, the department will be constrained to take strict legal actions as permissible under various laws,” the statement added.
Asked if Koda was cooperating with the IT sleuths, Director-General (IG-Investigation), Anjani Kumar, told reporters, “Not much. If I get proper support and cooperation, the investigation will conclude soon.”
Meanwhile, Sinha Tuesday said that he will fully co-operate with the investigation.
“I will personally appear before the Income Tax department before the given date (Nov 6) and present version of things,” Sinha told a television channel.
Sinha acknowledged that he is a good friend of Koda and said the raids were “politically motivated” ahead of assembly polls in the state.
“Koda is good friend of mine. I belong to his constituency and I know him well. The Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate raids are politically motivated and aims to defame Koda,” Sinha said.
“The raids are motivated due to assembly polls. There are people who do not want Koda to emerge stronger in our areas (Jamshedpur and Chaibaasa),” he said.
Koda became chief minister at the age of 35. In 2005, his declaration to the Election Commission listed his total assets at Rs.12 lakh.
rounak