Abhishek Banerjee faces ED grilling today in Bengal school job scam
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday, 15 June at its Salt Lake office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, for questioning in the multi-crore cash-for-school-job scam in West Bengal. The ED had served him a notice on 3 June, directing him to present himself by noon on 15 June.
What the ED Probe Covers
According to agency sources, Abhishek has been summoned to help investigators reach a 'logical conclusion' regarding his alleged involvement in the school-job case. His statement is expected to be recorded during the session. Notably, while Abhishek Banerjee's name appeared in the charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — which is conducting a parallel probe — he was not named as an accused in that filing. His name did, however, figure in the charge sheet submitted by the ED in its own investigation of the case.
A Day After Eight-Hour CID Grilling
Monday's ED appearance comes just a day after Abhishek endured a marathon eight-and-a-half-hour interrogation on Sunday by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police, in connection with an ongoing probe into a signature mismatch case. The back-to-back questioning sessions underscore the mounting legal pressure on the TMC leader, who is the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
CID Summons Again on Tuesday
The legal calendar does not ease up for Abhishek after Monday. On 16 June, he is required to appear at the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhaban in South Kolkata for questioning linked to a separate FIR in which he has been accused of inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state. The CID served him that notice on the evening of 12 June.
Banerjee's Stated Position
Abhishek Banerjee has publicly stated that he will fully cooperate with any investigative agency in any case, maintaining that he has consistently done so. The TMC leadership has not issued any formal statement challenging the summons. This is the latest in a series of central-agency actions targeting senior Trinamool Congress figures in West Bengal, a pattern that the ruling party has previously described as politically motivated. The central agencies have denied any political bias in their investigations.