The Enforcement Directorate, probing the multi-crore hawala racket involving former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda and his five former Cabinet colleagues, will soon begin the process of attachment of their properties.
Former Jharkhand chief minister and his five former Cabinet ministers, namely Kamlesh Singh, Bhanu Pratap Shahi, Bandhu Tirkey, H.N. Rai and Enos Ekka, had been booked under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ED for alleged money laundering and acquiring huge movable and immovable assets by illegal means, worth several hundreds of crores, in the country as well as abroad also.
Sources said that Enforcement Directorate and vigilance department of Jharkhand had jointly identified eight properties owned by Enos Ekka located in Ranchi and these will be attached very soon. “A total of eight properties owned by Ekka, including a house (worth Rs 1.70 crore) located in Hinno area of Ranchi, have been identified by the ED and state vigilance department. ED officials will soon start the process of attaching these properties,” sources said.
“Investigating agencies will start the process by attaching Ekka’s properties first. After that, properties of H.N. Rai will be attached. Properties of both these minister have already been identified by the probing agencies. Besides, agencies have also evaluated the market price of the properties belonging to these two ministers,” sources said.
As far as properties of former chief minister Madhu Koda and his other three former Cabinet ministers are concerned, agencies have just started the process of identification of their ownership, sources added.