West Bengal: Calcutta High Court allows CBI, ED to question Abhishek Banerjee in alleged teachers' recruitment scam

Kolkata: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) can question Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP and the party's national secretary Abhishek Banerjee and arrested TMC leader Kuntal Ghosh in the alleged teachers' recruitment scam in Bengal, Calcutta High Court Justice Amrita Sinha said while reading out part of her order on Thursday.

Justice Sinha also fined Banerjee and Ghosh of ₹25 lakh each.

Banerjee has full faith in judiciary

Banerjee said he has full faith in the judiciary and will either move a division bench of the Calcutta High Court or the Supreme Court to challenge the order of the single bench of the high court.

“As a citizen of India, I am entitled to file pleas in our country’s courts. I have full faith in the judiciary. I have always cooperated with the investigating agencies, whenever they had summoned me be it in Calcutta or Delhi. I am yet to receive the copy of the court’s order. I will move the Division Bench or the Supreme Court in a day or two,” said Banerjee.

On March 29, Banerjee had claimed that party leaders who were in jail were allegedly forced by the central agencies to name him in the scam. Ghosh has also alleged that the CBI and ED are forcing him to name Banerjee in the recruitment scam.

Following this, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court had said that if the central agencies want they can question Banerjee and Ghosh together.

Banerjee had then moved the apex court to put a stay on the order and the case was shifted to another judge from the bench of Justice Gangopadhyay.

Banerjee, who is conducting the party's public connect programme, said he will visit the offices of the central agencies if they summon him.

"Please bring forth all the proof and prosecute me"

“I assure the people that if any investigating agency summons me during our programme, I will stall the yatra for a day and cooperate with the investigating procedure. I am the only person in the country who is declaring that please bring forth all the proof and prosecute me,” Banerjee said.

“At a time when ₹25 lakh has been imposed on me for wasting the court’s time, no action has been taken against those who file rampant PILs. No cost is imposed on the person who seeks protection from the court in relation to the incident of his convoy mowing down a person,” Banerjee contended.