Court stays transfer of official probing Koda scam

RANCHI - Jharkhand High Court Tuesday stayed the transfer of Income Tax (IT) official Ujjwal Chaudhary, the main investigator of the Madhu Koda scam, till the probe in the case is completely.

“A division bench of Chief Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra and Justice R.R. Prasad stayed the transfer of IT director (Investigation) Ujjwal Chaudhary till investigation of the Madhu Koda scam. Now Chaudhary can investigate all the angles and people involved in Koda scam,” Rajeev Kumar, lawyer of Durga Oraon who had challenged the transfer, told IANS.

Oraon had filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in Jharkhand High Court last month after Chaudhary was transferred as Income Tax Commissioner (Patna circle). Under Chaudhry’s supervision, the IT department had conducted raids at 130 places in October last year and February in the scam, allegedly involving money laundering of Rs.2,500 crore.

The court had passed an interim stay on the transfer early this month and the final hearing was put for Tuesday. Chaudhary was transferred Feb 19 when he was supervising the IT raids that took place on nearly 60 places.

The IT department had also filed its reply justifying the transfer. “The case of transfer of Chaudhary was considered by the placement committee with the approval of the competent authority. As such transfer has been effected in accordance with the transfer/placement policy,” said the department’s affidavit submitted in the court.