CBI, ED can quiz Abhishek Banerjee in school recruitment case: Calcutta HC

Kolkata, May 18 Upholding a previous order, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday empowered the central agencies to question Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal.

The single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha also allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to question expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh in connection with his allegations accusing the central agencies of putting pressure on him to name Abhishek Banerjee in the case.

Justice Sinha has imposed a penalty of Rs 25 lakhs each on Banerjee and Ghosh.

Although the exact reason for imposing the penalty will be known only after the full copy of the order is uploaded, Firdaus Shamim, a counsel involved in the matter, informed mediapersons that fine was enforced because of wasting time of the court.

Initially, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had empowered the central agencies for questioning Abhishek Banerjee.

But he approached the Supreme Court in the matter.

Following the order of the Supreme Court, two related cases in the matter were transferred to the bench of Justice Sinha.

Although the hearing in the matter was concluded on May 15, Justice Sinha reserved her verdict on that day.

Abhishek Banerjee's name surfaced after another Kuntal Ghosh wrote letters to a local police station as well as to the judge of a lower court accusing central agencies of putting pressure on him to name the Trinamool general secretary in the alleged scam.

During the course of hearing last week, Justice Sinha had raised questions about the reasons for the petitioner's reluctance in facing the investigation in the matter.

Observing that the petitioner should cooperate in the investigation process, she also observed that no one is above investigation.

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