Calcutta High Court on Friday refrained Enforcement Directorate (ED) from taking any action against TMC national secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s secretary Sumit Roy for six weeks over the alleged coal scam case.
The High Court has also directed Abhishek’s secretary Sumit to cooperate with the ED whenever he is summoned. “Whenever Sumit is summoned over the coal scam, he should be either present physically at ED’s Kolkata office or virtually via video conferencing,” said the High Court sources.
Justice Shivakant Prasad of Calcutta High Court had also directed the ED to file an affidavit and the petitioner to reply countering the affidavit within six months after which the Court will take up the case for hearing.
Notably, a similar case is filed in the Supreme Court by S B Raju, Additional Solicitor General of Supreme Court who is representing the Enforcement Directorate. Raju also submitted a petition in the High Court stating that the verdict of the High Court should stay till the Supreme Court disposes of the matter of coal scam in West Bengal.
It is pertinent to mention that Abhishek’s secretary Sumit Roy challenged the jurisdiction of ED for registering a similar case in New Delhi as the scam had allegedly taken place in West Bengal.
Roy had also prayed for an interim order of protection from the Calcutta High Court against the ED from taking any coercive action against him.
According to High Court sources, the Justice of the Calcutta High Court also mentioned that the petitioner is cooperating with the ED’s investigation.
