Coal pilferage case, Agencies being misused: Abhishek before ED date

Answering media questions outside the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport here, Abhishek said, "People against whom there is evidence and those who have been seen taking money wrapped in papers never get summoned or questioned by ED or CBI."

Abhishek Banerjee

TMC MP and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday again accused the Narendra Modi government of “misusing” central agencies as he left for Delhi to appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Monday in a money laundering case linked to coal pilferage. His wife, Rujira, will also appear before ED on Tuesday.

Answering media questions outside the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport here, Abhishek said, “People against whom there is evidence and those who have been seen taking money wrapped in papers never get summoned or questioned by ED or CBI. Central agencies can’t see anything when it involves them (BJP leaders). That is why probes by these agencies are often questioned by people.”

“They are angry because they have lost ground in Bengal. The people of Bengal have driven out outsiders,” the Diamond Harbour MP said.

Abhishek claimed that he had undergone an eye surgery four days ago and was advised rest.

Read | Ahead of ED date, Abhishek Banerjee says central agencies being misused

“We will fight till the end. I had appealed to the Delhi High Court. The verdict was postponed for three months after a long hearing. After the BJP won the elections in four states on the 10th, the next day, my petition was rejected. This cannot be a mere coincidence. I had challenged the jurisdiction. Why do they call me to Delhi when they have an office in Kolkata? I can appear as many times as they want if they call me in Kolkata,” said Abhishek.

Abhishek and his wife had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court, questioning ED summons and its jurisdiction. The court rejected the plea on March 11.

In her Budget speech recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Kesto and Malay (TMC’s Anubrata Mondal and Malay Ghatak) are being called by CBI. Abhishek and his wife were told to go to Delhi, not Kolkata. The central agencies are being used shamelessly.”

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The ED had filed a case under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following an FIR by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state. The ED claimed that the coal theft was carried out in connivance with government officials.

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