Ranchi:
One of the main players in the 4000 crore rupees scam in which former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda is a key accused, Devendra Mukhiya, has surrendered before the Income Tax Department.
Mukhiya was summoned by the I-T Dept to appear before them on November 6, but he had not showed up. He is accused of investing the money of Koda and Vinod Sinha in various projects in the country and abroad and also through Hawala channels.
The I-T department had sent a notice to him along with eight others to appear for interrogation.
Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department is preparing to question Koda at his residence today in connection with the multi-crore hawala transaction case. Koda was discharged from hospital on Sunday.
Koda and his associates are accused of corruption and investigations have revealed an empire that extended from Mumbai to Liberia to Thailand.
The sources said the Enforcement Directorate has been communicated about the I-T department's move to question Koda and that they would be closely following the questioning.
"Koda would be questioned about the documents that have been recovered during the searches," IT sources said.
The department has also asked its officers in Ranchi to bring the list of seizures and the records of statements of his associates, to be put across to Koda during questioning.
The directorate on Friday made its first arrest in the 4000-crore corruption scam, by nabbing the brother of a close associate.
They arrested Vikas Sinha, whose missing brother Binod Sinha was one of Koda's right-hand men. Binod apparently helped Koda to collect assets worth 4000 crore, mainly by serving as a front for him. While being arrested, Vikas denied that he helped his brother launder Koda's money, "These people are forcing me to accept things I haven't done."
Also missing, along with Vikas's brother, is another key Koda associate, Sanjay Chaudhury. Like Vinod Sinha, he was given till Friday to surrender, or face legal action.
Meanwhile, Income Tax officials have picked up more files related to the allotment of mining leases since 2004, when Koda was Jharkhand's Mines Minister.
A diary of Koda has also been recovered from his house in Ranchi, and is said to have revealed his connections with a Union Cabinet minister and other politicians with details of transactions.
Sources say Koda began building his empire when he was made Minister of Mines in the mineral-rich state of Jharkhand. He nurtured that empire with much attention when he took over as Jharkhand's chief minister in 2006, they add, based on documents recovered from his house and from offices across the country linked to Koda. Thinking big seemed to guide Koda and his men. Today, between them, they reportedly own swanky hotels, and mines in different parts of the world.
Koda's Personal Secretary was questioned on Friday. The case could see even more action on Saturday once Koda leaves hospital.