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SC to hear Abhishek Banerjee’s plea against go-ahead for probe against him
A Supreme Court vacation bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol allowed the listing of Banerjee’s plea on Friday after his lawyer Abhishek Singhvi mentioned it
The Supreme Court will on Friday hear Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee’s petition challenging the Calcutta high court’s order permitting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) to proceed with the inquiry against him in connection with an alleged scam in the recruitment of teachers in West Bengal.
The CBI on Saturday questioned Banerjee for over nine hours two days after a single judge bench of the high court gave the go-ahead to the central agencies to interrogate Banerjee, who is also chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew. Justice Amrita Sinha also imposed a fine of ₹25 lakh on Banerjee for wasting the time of the high court.
A Supreme Court vacation bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Sanjay Karol allowed the listing of Banerjee’s plea after his lawyer Abhishek Singhvi mentioned it. Singhvi said his client was being called on a daily basis to appear for questioning. “He is in Darjeeling and is campaigning...” He added the imposition of the fine has been challenged separately.
Additional solicitor-general SV Raju, who appeared for the CBI, sought to make submissions when the matter is heard.
On April 13, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta high court allowed CBI and ED to interrogate Banerjee along with another accused Kuntal Ghosh. Banerjee questioned the order in the top court saying Gangopadhyay had spoken against him in a TV interview. The top court verified the claim and ordered on April 28 that another judge of the high court will hear the matter.
Justice Gangopadhyay issued an order to the Supreme Court’s secretary general seeking documents the top court considered before passing the order transferring the case. A Supreme Court bench held a sitting at 8pm the same day and stayed the direction.
