Nation-wide IT search on Ex Jharkhand CM`s `properties`

New Delhi/Ranchi, Oct 30 (PTI) The Income Tax department
Saturday conducted searches across India on nearly 60
properties allegedly owned by former Jharkhand Chief Minister
Madhu Koda after the Enforcement Directorate registered a case
against him for money laundering and diversion of state funds.
The searches, which began early morning, were being
conducted by at least 400 IT sleuths on the properties located
in India's eastern states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal's
capital Kolkata, commercial hub Mumbai, and national capital
New Delhi, a senior IT officer said.
The Enforcement Directorate had registered the case on
October 9 against Koda and three of his ministerial colleagues
on charges of making huge illegal investments abroad,
including purchase of mines as far as in Liberia. Koda was
chief minister between February 2006 and August 2008.
38-year-old Koda, who may also face arrest, is the first
former chief minister and high-profile politician to have been
booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The ED had filed an Enforcement Case Information Report
(ECIR), which is equivalent to an FIR, before the Prevention
of Money Laundering Act court in Ranchi against Koda and three
of his cabinet colleagues -- Kamlesh Singh, Bhanu Pratap Shahi
and Bhandu Tirkey -- besides five other persons.
According to the ECIR, Koda is alleged to have
purchased mines in Liberia worth USD 17 lakh (Rs 8.5 crore)
besides making other 'benami' purchases in the name of his
close confidant Binod Sinha, once a tractor mechanic.
As per the ECIR, the property in the name of Sinha runs
into several hundred crores of rupees. PTI