JOIN USThis is the first arrest by the ED which had launched consecutive raids in association IT department against the suspects at several places in the country. Soon after, the ED officials produced him in the court and a special court of Pankaj Kumar allowed the sleuths 14 days judicial custody. However, the two close aides of Koda — Binod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary — did not appear before the I-T officials on Friday. The I-T department had set a deadline for November 6 as the date for six people including Chaudhay and Binod Sinha to appear before the additional directorate (investigation) of income-tax to explain the transactions.
Officials said, the ED has alerted airports across the country to prevent Binod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary fleeing the country. Under ED directives, the two have been barred from using their passports.
The I-T official also said four more persons, whose houses were raided in last few day, are being interrogated. Among these include Koda’s personal assistant Harendra Singh and others namely Bhim Singh, Anil Bastawde, Arun Shrivastava.
Meanwhile, the ED also served notices on three former ministers — Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Kamlesh Singh and Bandhu Tirkey — for interrogation at New Delhi from November 10-12. On October 9, the Enforcement Directorate lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Koda, the three former Jharkhand ministers and his associates.
Koda is still at a private hospital in Ranchi where he was admitted after he complained of stomach ache on Tuesday, while I-T official were interrogating him at his residence. On Thursday, he was shifted to the general ward and his condition is stated to be stable.
Koda’s arrest, however, by ED looms large. Sources indicated that he might be put through narco test. Director, Income Tax (Investigation) Ujjwal Choudhary told mediapersons, “Our interrogation will resume once Koda is discharged from the hospital.”
When asked about a possible narco test, his reply was: “The ED will take action.”