Despite bail, Jharkhand ex CM Madhu Koda to stay behind bars in other cases

The Jharkhand high court, on Thursday granted bail to former state chief minister Madhu Koda in a case of alleged illegal grant of mining leases, however, he would remain in prison in connection with other cases.

The single bench of HC Mishra granted bail to Koda, who has been in judicial custody since 30 November, 2009. He is facing charges of illegal investments and hawala transactions.

Koda and others have been named in a chargesheet filed by the CBI for allotting mining leases to a number of companies illegally when he headed the UPA government between 2006 and 2008. He is an accused in five cases, included a disproportionate assets case.

Koda was arrested from Chaibasa, 175 kilometres from Ranchi, in a raid by officers of Jharkhand Vigilance Bureau following countrywide raids by Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 69 premises on 31 October, 2009. He had earlier avoided repeated summons issued by the ED and State Vigilance Commission.

According to the IT department, documents relating to illegal investments and hawala transactions valued at Rs2,500 crore were seized during the raids on the premises of Koda and his associates. His aides Binod Sinha, Vikas Sinha and three others have also been jailed in the same cases.

Later, taking over the case along with the ED, the CBI charged him with making illegal investments and indulging in hawala transactions with others during his chief ministerial term of 23 months.