Abhishek Banerjee exits ED office after 11-hour grilling in Bengal school-job case
Synopsis
Abhishek Banerjee endured over 11 hours of ED questioning in Kolkata on 15 June — one day after an eight-and-a-half-hour CID session — with a third round of interrogation by the CID already scheduled for 16 June. The relentless pace of multi-agency scrutiny on a sitting TMC parliamentarian signals the Bengal school-job scam probe is entering a sharper phase.
Key Takeaways
Abhishek Banerjee was questioned by the ED for over 11 hours at Salt Lake, Kolkata on 15 June in the multi-crore school-job scam.
He arrived at 10.55 am and left at 10.05 pm , declining to speak to the media.
His name appears in charge sheets filed by both the ED and the CBI , though he is not named as an accused in the CBI filing.
The ED charge sheet references Leaps & Bounds Private Limited , of which he was formerly CEO .
The ED session followed an 8.5-hour CID grilling on 14 June ; a further CID appearance is scheduled for 16 June at Bhabani Bhaban .
Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee walked out of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Salt Lake, Kolkata late on Monday night, 15 June, after over 11 hours of questioning in the multi-crore cash-for-school-job scam in West Bengal. He had arrived at the ED's northern Kolkata premises at 10.55 am and departed at approximately 10.05 pm, maintaining silence before the media both on entry and exit.
What the Questioning Covered
The ED interrogation centred on the Bengal school-job case, a multi-crore scandal involving alleged cash payments in exchange for teaching and non-teaching appointments in state-run schools. Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has been named in charge sheets filed by both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — though not as an accused in the CBI filing. The ED's charge sheet also references Leaps & Bounds Private Limited, a company of which Abhishek Banerjee was formerly the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
Background: How the Probe Began
The CBI investigation into the school-job case was initially ordered by then-Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who has since joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and currently serves as the Lok Sabha member from Tamluk constituency in East Midnapore district. The ED subsequently entered the matter independently by registering Enforcement Case Information Reports on its own initiative, running a parallel financial investigation alongside the CBI's criminal probe.
A Marathon Week of Questioning
Monday's ED grilling came just one day after Abhishek Banerjee faced eight and a half hours of questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police on Sunday, 14 June, in connection with a separate signature mismatch case. The back-to-back sessions mark an unusually intense stretch of scrutiny for a sitting parliamentarian. Notably, this is not the first time Abhishek has appeared before central agencies in relation to the school-job matter.
What Comes Next
On Tuesday, 16 June, Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to appear again before the CID at its headquarters at Bhabani Bhaban in South Kolkata. This summons relates to a separate FIR in which he has been accused of allegedly inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls. The CID served him notice on the evening of 12 June. Abhishek Banerjee has publicly stated he will fully cooperate with all investigative agencies, as he says he has been doing throughout.
Point of View
Three separate cases — is an extraordinary level of simultaneous legal pressure on a sitting Lok Sabha member and the de facto No. 2 of the ruling party in West Bengal. What is notable is the layered nature of the probes: the ED and CBI are running parallel tracks on the school-job scam, while the CID is pursuing entirely separate matters. The convergence raises questions about coordination and timing, particularly given that the CID probe involves alleged threats to a Union Home Minister ahead of state elections. Whether this pace of questioning yields charge-framing or remains at the summons stage will determine the political fallout for the Trinamool Congress ahead of the next electoral cycle.
NationPress
31 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Abhishek Banerjee summoned by the ED?
Abhishek Banerjee was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-job scam in West Bengal, in which his name appeared in the ED's own charge sheet. The ED is conducting a financial crimes investigation parallel to the CBI's criminal probe into the same case.
What is the Bengal school-job scam?
The Bengal school-job scam refers to allegations of large-scale cash payments made in exchange for teaching and non-teaching appointments in West Bengal state-run schools. Both the CBI and the ED are probing the matter separately, with the CBI investigation originally ordered by a Calcutta High Court judge.
What is Abhishek Banerjee's connection to Leaps and Bounds Private Limited?
Leaps and Bounds Private Limited is a company that surfaced in the ED's charge sheet in the school-job case. Abhishek Banerjee was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the firm, according to the charge sheet.
What other cases is Abhishek Banerjee facing?
Besides the ED probe, Abhishek Banerjee faced CID questioning on 14 June in a signature mismatch case and is scheduled for further CID questioning on 16 June over an FIR accusing him of allegedly inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah before the West Bengal Assembly polls.
Has Abhishek Banerjee been named as an accused in the school-job case?
Abhishek Banerjee's name appears in charge sheets filed by both the ED and the CBI in the school-job case, but he was not named as an accused in the CBI's charge sheet. His status in the ED proceedings has not been publicly specified beyond his appearance for questioning.
