Maneka Gambhir, a relative of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, was barred from boarding a foreign-bound flight at Kolkata airport by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). According to official sources, Maneka Gambhir has also been summoned to participate in an inquiry into money laundering. Gambhir arrived at the airport at 9 p.m. last night to board a flight to Bangkok.
According to sources, Gambhir was denied immigration clearance on the basis of a Lookout Circular (LoC) issued by the central investigation agency against her. They said that Gambhir was prevented from boarding the plane by immigration officials, who then contacted ED officers, who arrived at the airport, spoke with them, and denied permission to travel.
According to sources, ED officials then summoned her to appear at its office in Kolkata’s Salt Lake region at 11 a.m. on Monday (September 12) for questioning in a money laundering case. This money laundering case is linked to the West Bengal coal scam case.
In this case, the ED has not yet questioned Gambhir. She has already been questioned by the CBI earlier. In August, the Calcutta High Court directed the ED to question Gambhir at its regional office in Kolkata rather than in Delhi. At the same time, HC ruled that no coercive action be taken against Gambhir until the next date of hearing on the subject.
Gambhir had challenged the ED’s summons, claiming that she had been summoned to appear in Delhi on September 5 in connection with the suspected coal scam, and had sought the court to order the agency to conduct interrogation in Kolkata. In this matter, the ED had already questioned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira.
Although Abhishek Banerjee has been questioned by the ED in both Delhi and Kolkata, Rujira has only been questioned in Kolkata after obtaining a similar judicial relief as Gambhir.
The ED is investigating this case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with Anup Majee accused of being the ringleader of a coal mining pilferage-related money laundering case involving Eastern Coalfield Limited’s mines in Kunustoria and around Asansol, West Bengal.
