Calcutta High Court refuses to exempt Abhishek Banerjee from CBI questioning

Kolkata (IANS) | A single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha of the Calcutta High Court on Friday refused to exempt Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee from questioning by the CBI in a matter related to the letter of expelled youth leader Kuntal Ghosh from the party. In his letter, Ghosh accused central agencies of pressurizing him to name Banerjee in an alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in government schools in West Bengal.

Originally, a bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had allowed the CBI to interrogate Banerjee in the matter. However, following an order from the Supreme Court, two cases related to this case were transferred to Justice Sinha’s bench.

Banerjee, a Lok Sabha member, on Thursday filed a fresh appeal before Sinha’s bench seeking relief from the CBI inquiry in the case.

However, on Friday, Justice Sinha dismissed the plea and virtually upheld Justice Gangopadhyay’s order allowing the CBI to question Banerjee in the matter.

Banerjee’s counsel argued that if protection from interrogation is not granted, there is every possibility that the CBI will take some coercive steps. However, refusing to accept that argument, Justice Sinha said that since the court would be open on round-the-clock basis, there would be scope to approach the court at any point of time.

During the first hearing of the matter in his bench earlier this week, Justice Sinha had said that Banerjee should cooperate with the investigation.

Justice Sinha told Banerjee’s counsel, “No one is above the investigation. Please cooperate with the process of investigation. What is the problem there.

Significantly, Kuntal Ghosh had sent a letter to a local police station and a special CBI court judge, claiming that central agencies were pressurizing him to name Banerjee in the alleged recruitment scam.

On being pointed out by the central agencies, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had authorized the CBI to interrogate Banerjee in the matter.

Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court against the order, following which the apex court had granted an interim stay on Justice Gangopadhyay’s order for a specific period, which had expired.

–IANS