Ranchi, Nov 19 (IANS) Former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda, who is at the centre of a Rs.2,500 crore money laundering scam, failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) officials for interrogation Thursday.

The ED had summoned him for interrogation Thursday and asked him to appear before them by 3.

30 p.m.

Koda while addressing a rally in Chaibasa Wednesday said he had not received any notice from the ED or the IT department. The ED officials had put up a summon notice at his Ranchi residence Wednesday.

Koda, however, failed to appear before the IT and ED officials Thursday. Koda was in his hometown Chaibsa, busy campaigning for the assembly elections beginning later this month.

Koda has for the third time skipped ED summons.

ED had summoned him in New Delhi Nov 11 for interrogation. He was then summoned Nov 15. He again did not appear and then Nov 19 was fixed for his interrogation in Ranchi.

'We are consulting experts and planning to initiate legal action against him,' said a source in ED.

The sources further said that 'the investigation will progress only when Koda cooperates with both the ED and IT. The documents seized and information we have can be verified from Koda's interrogation'.

Koda is focusing on the five-phase state assembly polls beginning from Nov 25 to strengthen his position in state politics.

According to sources close to Koda, he may attend the winter session of parliament which began Thursday. In parliament, Koda may raise the issue of raids charging IT officials of torturing him.

Koda has floated the Jharkhand Navnirman Morcha (JNM) and announced names of six candidates to fight the coming assembly polls. His wife, Geeta Koda, is also a nominee from Jaggarnathpur assembly constituency.

On Oct 9, the ED lodged a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Koda and three more former ministers as well as his associates Vinod Sinha and Sanjay Chaudhary.