Koda went to Bangkok with aides, says affidavit

RANCHI: In an affidavit filed at Jharkhand High Court on Friday, the vigilance department said former chief minister Madhu Koda had undertaken a tour of Bangkok, Thailand, with his close associates, Binod Sinha and Sanjay Choudhary.
According to the affidavit, Binod Sinha, during his interrogation by the vigilance authorities, in the disproportionate assets case confessed that he, alongwith Koda and Choudhary, had been to Thailand but refused to give any further details regarding the visit.
While searching the residences of Koda, the vigilance department came across documents relating to his movable and immovable assets along with two laptops, which are being scrutinized.
It says that detailed income, expenditure and liability statements have been obtained from Koda but those are incomplete and was asked to clarify on several specific points, which he had failed to do. The affidavit also stated that though several persons associated with the accused directly or indirectly have been interrogated, none of them cooperated with the department.
Among the accused who were questioned include Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha, Sanjay Choudhary, Rakesh Prasad, Harendra Kumar Singh, Arun Kumar Srivastav. Sanjay Pulsania admitted that he was tortured by Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha and Sajjan Naredi to sell his Shiv Rama Sponge iron to them at a throwaway price.
According to the affidavit, Jharkhand State Electricity Board cost accountant Amit Banerjee having close links with the then chairman and Binod Sinha, Deepak Kumar accused in animal husbandry scam, Sanjay Goswami, Brajesh Kumar Singh and others were also interrogated and examined but none of them cooperated with the probe, according to the affidavit.