West Bengal : Shock to Mamata Banerjee from SC, ED will be able to interrogate nephew Abhishek on 24 hours notice
West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee and her party TMC have got a big setback from the Supreme Court. The top court has allowed the ED to interrogate his nephew Abhishek Banerjee and wife Rujira Banerjee in the coal smuggling case. The court has said that the ED can question Abhishek Banerjee and his wife on 24-hour notice. However, the court has also given a relief to Abhishek and his wife. ED will now interrogate him from Kolkata instead of calling him to Delhi. Abhishek had sought exemption from the court from going to Delhi to join the investigation of the case.
The ED’s inquiry was constantly being opposed by the Bengal government. In such a situation, this order of the Supreme Court is like a big setback for the Bengal government in the midst of conflict with the central agencies. The court has also told the Bengal government in its decision that there should not be any kind of obstruction or misbehavior in front of the Jant officials.
Order to Bengal Government – cooperate with ED officials
Abhishek Banerjee had demanded from the Supreme Court that he should be exempted from questioning by coming to the ED’s headquarters in Delhi. He said that Bengal is his home state and he wants to cooperate in the investigation of the case there. On this, the Supreme Court ordered the Bengal government to cooperate in the investigation of the ED. Along with this, the ED has been given permission that if someone obstructs the investigation in Bengal or if the officials are misbehaved, then she can come to the court. However, the Supreme Court has also given some relief to the relatives of Mamta Banerjee.
A Delhi court had issued a bailable warrant against Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira, on which the Supreme Court has stayed. The summons was issued after the probe agency did not receive a response to several consecutive summons. Rujira Banerjee’s name is also included in the money laundering case related to Bengal coal scam. Significantly, his nephew is considered to be the second number leader in Mamata Banerjee’s party TMC. In such a situation, the order to cooperate in the investigation of ED is a setback for Mamta Banerjee. She has been accusing the central investigative agencies of taking retaliation.
