Kolkata: The Kolkata Police has summoned three senior Enforcement Directorate officials in connection with an audiotape leak case. Right before Bengal Elections last year, the tape was aired by a news channel.
The Kolkata Police is investigating the case against a businessman, who was heard talking to an ED officer on topics like cattle smuggling and coal scam in a purported audio clip, which was leaked before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.
Last year in September, The Enforcement Directorate approached the Delhi High Court, and asked to cancel the summons issued by the Kolkata Police to its officers. The HC stayed the summons but didn’t stop the investigation of the matter.
Now fresh summons have been issued in connection with the case filed at the Kalighat Police Station. The officials of the Enforcement Directorate have been asked to appear at the Kalighat Police Station before the detective department.
Fresh summons comes a day ahead of the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee appearing before the ED.
Abhishek Banerjee has claimed that on the behest of BJP, the ED is acting politically.
Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee are being questioned by the ED in an alleged money laundering case linked to the Bengal coal scam.
The TMC MP linked the summons to the BJP’s win in the assembly elections in four states. He has also questioned the dismissal of his appeal in the High Court challenging the questioning in Delhi.
“I will go to the Supreme Court. That path is open to me. And we have faith in the topmost justice system in the country,” he had said.
Banerjee said that despite being advised by the doctors to take complete bed rest after a recent eye procedure, he was going to Delhi, he said.
Today he was spotted entering the new office of the central probe agency in central Delhi around 11 am.
Officials have stated that statement of Abhishek Banerjee will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He will be confronted with evidence gathered by investigators in the case.
The case involves illegal mining and theft of coal from Kunustoria and Kajoria coal fields of Eastern Coalfield Limited. The CBI is probing allegation that the coal mafia paid regular kickbacks to leaders of Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress. The alleged pilferage results in loss of revenue for the Centre and the states in thousands of crores, according to news agency PTI.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Centre of unleashing its agencies on her nephew and his family. She has also claimed that some BJP ministers are “hand in glove” with the coal mafia.
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