IT raids continue on ex-Jharkhand CM Koda

Ranchi, Nov. 1 (ANI): Income tax officials on Sunday continued raids at the addresses linked with former Jharkhand chief ministers Madhu Koda and Shibu Soren.

On Saturday, the IT and Enforcement Directorate officials raided 70 addresses associated with Koda in order to strengthen a money laundering case against him.

Raids were conducted at houses of mediapersons Arup Chatterji and Prem Shyankaran, who are said to be associated with Koda.

"The raids were conducted at houses and offices of Arup Chatterji and Prem Shyankaran. Arup was till last month reporter with Sahara News channel. He is planning to open a news channel. Prem is a contractor who started a Hindi newspaper," said Ujjwal Chaudhary, Director, Income Tax (Investigation).

According to sources, documents relating to illegal transaction of Rs.2,000 crore were found during raid.

Properties of Vinod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary - close associates of Madhu Koda - were also raided.

"We are going through the documents seized from these people. We will say anything only after analysing the documents," an official said.

On October 9, the Enforcement Directorate had charged Koda and his former Cabinet colleagues under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for allegedly amassing assets worth several hundred crores.

Koda, an independent member of Lok Sabha and a UPA supporter, has been charged with having business interests of diverse kinds - cement, steel, auto, power, agro and tourism.

Estimated at 300-400 crore rupees, his investments are alleged to be spread from Singapore to Thailand to Dubai to Liberia. (ANI)