Raids on Koda continue

I-T dept to summon former Jharkhand chief minister and his aides

“Investigations, questioning and raids at several places are still on,” IT Director of Investigation Ujjwal Chaudhary told reporters here.

“It is in a critical stage,” he said and refused to share any additional information.
“Raids at some places concluded while they are continuing in several other places. Seizure of documents and sealing of houses is continuing,” said another IT official.

“Some persons have come up to face questioning, while Vinod Kumar Sinha, one of the main associates of Koda, has still not turned up,” the official said. The I-T Department on Saturday gave Sinha 24 hours notice to meet them or face legal action.

The raids began on Saturday after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case against Koda and his associates Sanjay Choudhary and Vinod Sinha on October 9 on charges of making huge illegal investments abroad.

Meanwhile, the I-T department has decided to summon Koda for “detailed questioning” on the alleged hawala transactions and investments made by him and his associates. The department will issue notices to Koda and others for “detailed questioning” after scrutinising the seized material, official sources said.

Tax officials did hold cursory questioning, but sources said  the volumes of the documents seized warrants detailed questioning. The notices will be send under Section 131 of the Income Tax Act 1961 which authorises the department to issue summons or to force attendance of any person for being examined on oath or to compel production of books of account and other documents.

Authorities added the department will also initiate the unlocking of seized lockers at various places of the former chief minister and his associates. “Some documents showed about Rs 100 crore in foreign exchange being sent by hawala transactions to Dubai, Thailand and Malayasia,” officials said. Koda was chief minister between September 2006 and August 2008.