Bengal teacher scam: Big blow to Abhishek Banerjee, SC refuses to stop investigation

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the CBI and Enforcement Directorate probe against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged West Bengal teacher recruitment scam, saying it cannot obstruct the probe in the matter. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha allowed Banerjee to avail of remedies available under law, but declined to interfere with the May 18 order of the Calcutta High Court.

The bench said, “We are not going to interfere with the order passed as it will hamper the investigation. The petitioner may avail of the remedies available under law.” The top court had on May 26 stayed the imposition of Rs 25 lakh fine. The High Court had dismissed Banerjee’s plea seeking recall of its earlier order that CBI and ED can interrogate her in the West Bengal school job scam cases.

The apex court, however, did not stay the part of the High Court order which said that the central probe agencies can interrogate the Trinamool Congress general secretary in connection with these cases. Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Calcutta High Court had dismissed Lok Sabha MP Banerjee’s plea seeking recall of its earlier order that probe agencies like the CBI and ED could interrogate her in a case related to the scam. Can

On April 28, the apex court asked the acting chief justice of the Calcutta High Court to transfer the West Bengal school job scam case to another judge, days after he expressed displeasure over Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay’s interview to a TV news channel. where he talked about it. fierce controversy. Banerjee, who was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for over nine hours on May 20, has sought a direction from the top court that the probe agency not take any coercive steps against her.

The TMC leader’s name cropped up in a complaint filed by Kuntal Ghosh, a local businessman and accused in the school job scam cases, where he alleged that the central probe agencies were pressurizing him to name Banerjee in the case. The agency’s summons to Banerjee came within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court dismissing her plea seeking recall of a previous court order, which had directed probe agencies like the CBI and ED to investigate the teacher recruitment scam case. You can inquire with them.

Banerjee alleged that while TMC leaders who were not ready to bow down were being harassed, BJP leaders involved in various cases were being let free. The two-time MP from Diamond Harbor was questioned twice by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the coal theft case at the agency’s office in the national capital in 2021 and also in Kolkata in 2022.

While the CBI is probing the criminal aspect of the school jobs scam cases, the ED is probing the money trail involved in alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment in West Bengal.