School Jobs Case: HC raps ED over probe progress, asks it to submit list of Abhishek’s assets

Sujay Krishna Bhadra, the COO of the company, was arrested by ED in May this year and he is currently in jail.

On Monday during the hearing of the case, Justice Sinha said, “The list of assets of Abhishek Banerjee…he says he has only three insurance policies till date and nothing else? Is that so? What does “till date” mean? He’s an MP, he doesn’t have a bank account? Where is he receiving his salary?”

“You (ED) had said the company Leaps & Bounds is engaged in dubious transactions. What did you have to arrive at that finding? You say the land was owned by the company…where are the details of the land? You have not mentioned anything else. You are (CBI and ED) the best investigating agencies in the country…with the best minds. Why did the court need to pass an order calling for the list of assets? It is your duty.

Referring to the house on Harish Mukherjee Street where Abhishek used to live, Justice Sinha said, “Is this a property belonging to anyone at Leaps & Bounds? You have not mentioned this in the list of assets, but I am questioning if you know of this property. The way in which this investigation is proceeding has shocked the conscience of the court, prompting me to list the matter even after the court hours are over.”

Justice Sinha said the valuation of the firm hasn’t been mentioned by the ED, and there appears to be inconsistency in regard to the address of the company.

On a bare perusal of the activities of the company, it appears that it caters to all types of business from ‘pin to elephant’, Justice Sinha said.

Justice Sinha also criticised the ED saying it is yet to inquire about the transactions of the directors of the firm.

Before adjourning the hearing to September 29, the court sought a detailed list of assets of Abhishek Banerjee, along with the financial records of a company owned by his mother, Lata Banerjee.

Earlier this month, after Abhishek was questioned by the ED for over nine hours in connection with the case, he admitted before the media that he was the CEO of Leaps & Bounds. “Yes, I am still the CEO of Leaps & Bounds. Some of the news companies are making sensational headlines claiming that the money from the recruitment scam went to Leaps & Bounds. I ask them and the central agencies to prove and substantiate their claims and not put out false information,” Abhishek told mediapersons after coming out of the ED office.

Meanwhile, after the High Court’s observations, CPI(M) alleged the ED was going soft on Abhishek “due to a hidden pact between TMC and BJP”.

CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “From the very first day we have been saying that there is a hidden pact between the BJP and TMC. Now, it is evident after this court hearing. The central agencies are trying to safeguard Abhishek.”

Caught on the backfoot, state BJP chief Sukanta Majumder said, “All ED officers are not the product after 2014 (when Narendra Modi became Prime Minister). So, there are many officers who have dubious roles. We will inform our central leadership and Central Home Ministry.”
Rejecting the Opposition’s charges, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “This is not related to Abhishek Banerjee. Media is now propagating this in a bid to malign Abhishek Banerjee’s image.”