Abhishek Banerjee & wife summoned again in coal scam case, to appear before ED on March 21

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again summoned Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee in connection with an alleged coal scam. The ED has ordered the couple to appear before the investigation team at the national capital next week. The TMC leader had earlier appeared before the ED in connection with the case.

Abhishek Banerjee has been asked by the ED to appear before the investigators on March 21. Following this, the ED also asked his wife to appear on March 22, according to sources close to ANI. This comes after the Delhi High Court dismissed the TMC leader and his wife’s plea against the summons issued by the agency last year in September.

On March 11, a bench of Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar denied the relief to Abhishek and his wife over the summons by ED and said that they must appear before the team in the national capital despite them being residents of Bengal. Following this order, ED has now issued fresh summons to Abhishek and his wife to appear before them by next week.

What is the coal scam?

The alleged coal scam came under the spotlight on November 27, 2020, when CBI Kolkata registered a case against several leaders of the Mamata Banerjee-led party, unknown officials of ECL, CISF, Railways, other departments and others under various sections of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. The ED later took up the investigation, and it was revealed that "large proceeds of crime" were generated and laundered due to illegal coal mining near railway areas. In February last year, the CBI was restricted from investigating the illegal mining and transportation of coal, after which the Calcutta High Court allowed the CBI to continue the probe.

Following this, the CBI questioned Rujira Banerjee, wife of Abhishek Banerjee and thus creating a massive uproar by linking the Trinamool Congress leaders to it. Later on September 2021, Abhishek was questioned over eight hours in Delhi in connection with the case. After quizzing Abhishek, his wife and his sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir over the alleged connection in the scam, CBI officials had noted that they were not satisfied with their replies.

(With ANI inputs)

Image: PTI/ ANI