The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Trinamool Congress national secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee. Both of them will be questioned next week in connection with the coal scam. The ED has asked Abhishek to appear before the investigators on March 21 and his wife on March 22. Abhishek was summoned by the ED in this case earlier as well and he appeared before the investigating officers in Delhi.
On February 21 last year, a CBI team had visited the residence of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek. The CBI had summoned Abhishek’s wife and his sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir for their alleged links in the coal scam. After questioning Rujira, CBI officials said that they were not satisfied with his reply.
Abhishek-Rujeera got a setback from Delhi High Court
Just a few days ago, Abhishek and Rujira got a major setback from the Delhi High Court when the court did not accept the demand for quashing the summons issued in this case. The court, in its judgment, observed that Section 48 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) does not restrict the investigating agency regionally in matters of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The Court observed that the CrPC refers to the territorial limits imposed on police officers in the exercise of their jurisdiction.
Coal theft worth crores of rupees
The ED has registered the case on the basis of the November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI under the provisions of PMLA. It alleged coal theft worth crores of rupees related to the mines of Eastern Coalfields Limited in Kunustoria and Kajora areas of the state in and around Asansol. Local coal operator Anoop Manjhi alias Lala is said to be the prime suspect in this case. The ED had claimed that the TMC MPs were the beneficiaries of the money received from this illegal business. However, the MP has denied all the allegations.