CBI files chargesheet against Madhu Koda, 2 aides

The chargesheet was filed against Koda and his two aides Binod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary in the court of a special judge in Ranchi under 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to a release issued by the CBI spokesman, the investigation showed that the former CM had shown favour to a company by obtaining illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 13 crore in the matter of recommending it for allotment of land for mining iron ore.

Koda and Sinha are presently in judicial custody while Chaudhary is absconding, the spokesman said. "Investigation on other aspects of the first information report is continuing," he said.

The CBI had carried out searches in Ranchi in connection with the multi-crore scam involving Koda following questioning of Sinha. He was arrested by the CBI on September 16.

Sinha was wanted by vigilance and enforcement agencies in a hawala case involving Koda, two state ministers – Enos Ekka and Harinarain Rai -- and others. He had been evading arrest since February 2007, a CBI official said.

The Jharkhand vigilance bureau had registered an FIR on July 2, 2009 in a case of disproportionate assets involving Koda and some former state ministers.

The case was later transferred to CBI by the Jharkhand High Court and, accordingly, a case was registered on August 11, 2010 alleging that Sinha earned crores of rupees by engineering allotment of mining leases to his own companies or his associates for commission during the regime of Koda, the official said.

The CBI had alleged that the accused had acquired large number of properties and companies, within and outside the country out of this ill-gotten wealth.

Sinha has been charged by the Enforcement Directorate with investing money on behalf of Koda in India and some Middle-East countries.

The state high court had given directions on a public interest litigation filed by social activist Durga Oraon who sought a CBI probe into the disproportionate assets allegedly owned by Koda and his former cabinet colleagues. The ED and the income tax department are separately investigating allegations of illegal investment and hawala transactions against Koda and others.