HC junks vigilance case against Madhu Koda

The Jharkhand High Court Thursday quashed a vigilance case against jailed Chief Minister Madhu Koda for want of material evidence. He had got a bail in the case in August,2012.

The State Vigilance Department had alleged that Koda,in February 2007,appointed Indian Forest Service Officer Raj Kapoor Sinha as member secretary of the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board and received kickbacks for issuing no-objection certificates to certain stone-crushing units. It had accused Koda of using the money to fund its Parliamentary poll campaign in 2009. Justice R R Prasad found no material evidence to substantiate the Vigilance claim. There was nothing in the case diary to make a case, said Kodas lawyer Biswajit Mukherjee. He argued that Sinha was not handpicked by Koda. There is documentary evidence to prove that Sinhas appointment was recommended by the then minister for environment and forests. Koda merely accepted that recommendation, he said.

Koda has been in Birsa Munda Central Jail since November 2009,and has so far received bail in four out of five cases,including the case that has been quashed on Thursday. Sinha who is now on bail was suspended in August 2010. The move came after I-T officials allegedly recovered incriminating documents during a raid in properties owned by him and individuals close to Koda in February 2010.

The Vigilance had alleged that Koda received Rs 90 lakh in two instalments of Rs 50 lakh and Rs 40 lakh through his representatives as kickbacks.