Koda's official residence sealed

Ranchi, Nov 4 : The residential office of former chief minister Madhu Koda was sealed off today even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued summons to Koda, admitted in Apollo hospital yesterday, and six others for interrogation in connection with the Disproportionate Asset cases.

The portion meant for office works at his official residence of the former chief minister was sealed, the IT sources said here.

The ED notice came in the wake of ongoing raids carried out by IT officials assisted by ED that began on October 31 at 70 locations, involving Koda and his close associates, spread over nine cities.

Two days ago, among his aides Binod Kumar Sinha, Sanjay Kumar Choudhary, Devendra Mukhia, Basant Bhattacharya and Anil Bastawde were advised by the IT department to appear before them by November 6.

Meanwhile, the ED also asked the Apollo hospital to furnish certificate about the former chief minister who was admitted to the hospital yesterday.

In a letter, the ED wanted to know the health condition of Koda and the probable date of his discahrge.

Hospital sources said today that the letter was received by them last night in which the ED also advised that the former should not be discharged without prior information.

Koda, who was kept in ICU following acute abdominal pain, was reported to be stable today, the sources said adding his blood pressure was still high.

He was likely to be discharged in a day or two.

The Independent MP fell sick yesterday while being grilled by sleuths of the Income Tax and ED for more than 72 hours in connection with ill-gotten wealth.

Top IT official from New Delhi also arrived here in the wake of seizure of documents from the former chief minister's residences and his various associates, mainly Binod and Sanjay, also assumed significance as the huge scam under scanner stood at more than Rs 2,000 crore.

Sources suspect the scam might be worth nearly Rs 4000 crore.

Earlier, the ED had lodged FIR against five former ministerial colleagues of Koda--Kamlesh Singh, Bandhu Tirkey, Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Harinarayan Rai and Anos Ekka (the last two in jail now) in connection with DA case.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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