Coal Scam: Delhi Court summons TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's wife

A Delhi Court has summoned All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's wife Rujira Banerjee to appear before it on September 30. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Patiala House Court Dr Pankaj Mishra has summoned Rujira on a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The ED has alleged that Banerjee is skipping the summons by the agency and is refusing to join the probe. Both Rujira and Abhishek are being questioned by the central agency in a PMLA case pertaining to coal smuggling.

In this particular alleged coal mining case in West Bengal, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has already interrogated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee. According to ANI, local coal operative Anup Majhi is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case.

Abhishek Banerjee and his wife had moved to the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of summons by ED in connection with the alleged coal mining scam. The Couple had sought to direct ED to not summon them to the national capital and carry out a probe in Kolkata.

The petition said that a great degree of protection is granted to woman under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which mandates that she (Rujira) shall not be required to attend any other place than where she resides.

Coal Smuggling Scam

The illegal coal smuggling scam came to light in November 2020 when CBI registered a case against several leaders and government officials under various sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption act. Later, ED took over the probe and revealed that "large proceeds of crime" were generated and laundered due to coal mining near railway areas. 

On February 23, 2021, the CBI question Rujira Banerjee, creating a massive uproar since it came ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections. The Trinamool Congress had dubbed the ED probe against its MPs as "political vendetta". The CBI has also carried out several raids across the state in connection with the illegal coal mining case this year.

(With ANI Inputs)