Ranchi, Nov. 11: The income tax department today issued arrest warrants against Vinod Sinha and Sanjay Choudhary — two of the key accused in the multicrore investment scam — as they failed to appear before sleuths by 4pm, the second deadline set for the duo.

“Notices will be affixed at their offices and residences. We have intimated the police who will do the needful,” tax director (investigation) Ujjwal Chaudhary told The Telegraph from Mumbai.

Both Sinha and Choudhary are believed to be close aides of former chief minister Madhu Koda who is being grilled by tax officials. Earlier, they were supposed to appear before investigating officials on or before November 6.

The tax department had also summoned Delhi-based fixer Devendra Mukhiya, mines department section officer Basant Bhattacharya, Mumbai-based bullion trader and hawala agents Manoj Punamia and Anil Vastawade.

On October 31, raids had been conducted on the premises of Koda and his close associates across the country. All, except Sinha, Choudhary and Vastawade, were quizzed.

Officials conceded that without interrogating the trio, it would be difficult to ascertain the magnitude of the scam and the modus operandi of those involved.

Sources said Sinha had already arrived in Ranchi and had sent two of his counsels — Piyush Poddar and Pandey Neeraj Rai, both Jharkhand High Court advocates — to present his case before the tax department.

Poddar said they had filed a petition seeking presence of an advocate whenever Sinha was interrogated by tax officials or other agencies. He and Rai pleaded for more time for their client, but additional tax director (investigation) Ajit Kumar Srivastava apparently refused to oblige them.

Vastawade, earlier a hawala agent based in Dubai, is now believed to have settled in Indonesia as an NRI. About Choudhary, sleuths have conflicting information. He may be in the country or overseas.

Tax director Chaudhary said investigations had slowed down today due to incessant rainfall in Mumbai, the centre stage of interrogation by the income tax department and the Enforcement Directorate.

In Ranchi, tax sleuths continued grilling Koda. Mukhiya, Koda’s private secretary Harendra Singh and Sinha’s friend Rakesh Kumar were also interrogated.