SC grants bail to Madhu Koda in money laundering case

Jailed former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and his aide Vikash Kumar Sinha were on Friday granted bail by the Supreme Court for their alleged role in a money laundering case.

But the duo will remain in prison in connection with bribery and other offences.

A bench comprising justices H L Dattu and Ranjan Gogoi said the trial court hearing their case in Ranchi will fix the conditions for the bail.

Koda will remain in jail as he has not been granted bail in two other cases of alleged income tax evasion and bribery -- in the Rajiv Gandhi electrification project in Palamu and Dumka districts in Jharkhand.

The former chief minister was earlier granted bail by the Jharkhand high court in connection a disproportionate assets case and a bribery case related to forest clearance.

Koda has been lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi, where he has been confined since November 2009 for his alleged role in corruption and other cases.

While seeking bail, he had submitted that the Enforcement Directorate had made a statement in the trial court that the probe in the case was complete.

Koda had approached the apex court after his bail plea was rejected by the high court.

He had also got bail earlier in a case of alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct during election.

On September 25, 2012 charges had been framed against Koda by a Jharkhand court pertaining to laundering of Rs 3,549.72 crore.

Koda has been accused by the ED of making illegal investments worth Rs 1,340 crore out of the total amount.

Anil Bastawade, a close associate of Koda, was deported in January from Indonesia to establish the link between them in connection with illegal accumulation of wealth.

A Red Corner Notice against Bastawade was issued by the CBI on the request of the ED which is probing charges of alleged money laundering against the 48-year-old businessman.

A RCN is the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant. It requests provisional arrest of wanted people with a view to extradite them.

ED suspects Bastawade to have made alleged illegal investments in Dubai and other foreign locations on behalf of Koda and his other associates.

The agency has named him in its charge-sheet and has underlined his role in purchasing properties in the UAE from criminal proceeds generated by alleged illegal activities during the tenure of Koda.