In a setback to the ongoing investigation in the multi-crore scam in Jharkahnd, former chief minister Madhu Koda’s aides have sneaked out of the country to Nepal.

According to information available to the NewsX, Sanjay Choudhury and Vinod Sinha have flown to Nepal and are reported to have acquired citizenship there.

It is quite likely that they have acquired Nepalese passports under assumed or fake names.

Choudhury’s passport verification was signed off by Amitabh Choudhury on June 23, 2004. At that time Amitabh Choudhury was DIG Special Branch. Currently he is Special Secretary, Home in the Jharkhand Government.

Vinod Sinha’s passport verification was finally signed off by Akhileshwar Prasad Shukla on June 13, 2005. At that time he was the Additional Deputy Commissioner, West Singhbum.

Meanwhile, Koda, facing money laundering and corruption charges, failed to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday.

Koda cited reasons of election campaigning in interior areas of the state.

The ED had summoned Koda to appear before its officials in Ranchi at 4: 30 pm for questioning in the multi-crore hawala and illegal investments case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Sources said that apart from election campaigning, Koda has also said that he will be attending the Lok Sabha winter session which started today.

ED officials, however, did not say anything about the new dates to be issued to the former chief minister.

Koda, according to sources, was to be questioned on the basis of documents seized during the nationwide Income Tax searches on him and his associates, which began on October 31.