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ShareNew Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued notices on Tuesday to former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and his associates to join the investigation. Anticipating action from the ED, Koda complained of high blood pressure and severe stomach ache. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital.
Aweek ago, Koda had reportedly been admitted to a hospital and was later discharged after "treatment of a kidney ailment". According to investigating officials, ultra sound and blood tests were conducted on him.
"We have issued summons to Koda and his associates under Section 50 of the Money Laundering Act," a senior ED official said.ED officials said there was a huge amount of indisputable evidence against Koda and his associates. "We will confront them with the evidence," the official said.
Koda was booked by the ED early last month for money laundering. On Saturday, Koda and his former cabinet colleagues faced income tax raids. Since Saturday, tax sleuths have carried out relentless searches at over 70 premises across India and have collected incriminating documents on illegal transactions worth millions of dollars by Koda and his associates during their stint in power.
Koda has been interrogated by the IT sleuths. Senior officials have accused him of non-cooperation. "He is not fully cooperating in the investigation," a senior I-T official said.
Investigators have found that Koda invested 17 lakh dollars in purchase of mines in Liberia. He owns three companies in Mumbai, property in Kolkata, a hotel in Thailand, and a coal mine in Liberia.
Investigators said his close aide, Binod Sinha, had invested in properties worth Rs200 crore. Sinha and another Koda aide, Sanjay Choudhary own 14 companies in India, and two in Dubai.
Their interests in steel, cement, automobiles, power, infrastructure, transportation, tourism, agriculture are part of an expanding investigation into the scam. Koda and his associates had diverted public money to purchase businesses abroad through the hawala channel.
