Koda aides get I-T ultimatum

These persons are advised to appear before the office of the Additional Director of Income-Tax,Ranchi,on November 6 at 11 am to explain certain transactions and events, he said.

If they fail to appear,he added,the department would be bound to take legal action under various laws.

Refusing to comment on whether the I-T department would seek Interpols help in connection with alleged hawala transaction of Rs 560 crore and illegal investments amounting to Rs 1,500 crore,he said the sleuths were conducting raids under the provisions of the Income-Tax Act.

On Saturday,the I-T launched raids on 70 alleged properties of Koda and his associates in Delhi,Kolkata,Mumbai,Lucknow,Nasik,Ranchi,Chaibasa and Jamshedpur following allegations that he had amassed illegal wealth during his tenure as chief minister and minister for mines in the Arjun Munda government.

Security men have been manning the Koda residence in Ranchi as the I-T officers continued their search operations and questioning of the Lok Sabha member from Jharkhands Singhbhum constituency.

Meanwhile,the state Vigilance department on Monday said it would ask the I-T to share details of seized materials and assets to enable it to use them as evidence against Koda in a disproportionate assets case that it is looking into.

We will definitely request the Income-Tax department to share whatever documents and assets it has unearthed, Inspector General of Police Vigilance M V Rao said.

On October 5,the Vigilance department had filed chargesheets against ex-ministers Enos Ekka and Harinarayan Rai who are now in jail custody.