Trinamool Congress MP and Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee has been summoned to the national capital by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with an alleged coal smuggling case on Monday. Several reports also said that he left Kolkata on Sunday to reach Delhi.
Abhishek’s wife Rujira Banerjee was also summoned on September 1. However, Rujira did not show up citing the Covid-19 pandemic as a reason of her absence. Rujira, however, had pleaded for questioning in Kolkata only.
Nevertheless, Abhishek Banerjee has already travelled to the national capital.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) summoned Leader of Opposition in state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari in connection with the death of his personal security guard.
Trinamool leaders have become vocal regarding Abhishek Banerjee’s summons.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself has attacked the Center over the ED’s summons. Her allegation is that the BJP is pursuing a policy of revenge as it cannot ‘compete’ politically.
Earlier, Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Shekhar Roy expressed anger over the incident by saying that the whole incident was a ‘political’ revenge. At the same time, he alleged that the Central Investigation Agency was not taking any action against several BJP leaders despite them being ‘involved’ in several criminal cases.
Meanwhile, the CID summoned the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday. He was asked to reach Bhabani Bhavan at 11 am. However, Suvendu had recently approached the High Court seeking that the case be handed over to the CBI along with other cases against him.
According to a source, the investigators want to interrogate Suvendu against the statements of other bodyguards. An ASI had taken Suvendu Adhikari’s former bodyguard Shubhbrata Chakraborty to the hospital with gunshot wounds, and the wounded bodyguard had given his statement to him. CID would likely focus on that statement as well.
However, another source told The Daily Guardian that Suvendu may not appear before the CID. He will be in Delhi for a scheduled meeting, and his lawyer will reply by sending a letter to CID on behalf of the leader, the source added.
CID has also summoned Suvendu Adhikari’s personal driver Sambhu Maity and his close aid Sanjeev Shukla on September 7, in connection with the death of his personal security guard.