Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Trinamool Congress’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on September 2 for questioning on the coal smuggling scam in West Bengal.
Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been asked to be present at the ED’s office at the Central Government Office (CGO) at Kolkata’s Salt Lake area.
ED sources said that during the interrogation of some Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in the state, the sleuths came across certain new links in the scam, following which it has become imperative to question Abhishek Banerjee.
The sources said that a special team of ED officers from the agency’s headquarters in New Delhi will be arriving to Kolkata for Abhishek Banerjee’s interrogation.
The team will consist of sleuths who had questioned the IPS officers.
An email communique has already been sent to the offices of the state police director general Manoj Malviya and the commissioner of Bidhannagar City Police, Supratim Sarkar for arrangement of adequate security.
Abhishek Banerjee is yet to respond to the summoning.
On Tuesday only, while addressing a rally on the occasion of the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad’s foundation day, the Chief Minister expressed apprehension that her nephew might be summoned any time.
“He has given a fiery speech here. Who can say that he and his wife will not receive a central agency notice tomorrow. This time if they summon him and his wife, I will ask them to take their two-year-old kid along with them to the agency office,” she added.
Reacting to the development, Trinamool Congress member Santanu Sen said that the Chief Minister’s apprehension on this count was correct.
“It is the height of political vendetta, where the Union government and BJP are shamelessly using Central agencies,” Sen said.
CPI(M) central committee member, Sujan Chakraborty said that Mamata Banerjee knows about the inevitable fate of her as well as her nephew and hence she expressed her apprehension.
Senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said that the Central agency probe in the matter is taking place following the directive of the court and hence it is a futile exercise to give this summon a political colour.
–IANS
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