Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, Abhishek Banerjee has appeared before Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Delhi on Monday, September 6, in connection to a money laundering case linked to the coal scam case. Yesterday, on September 5, before leaving for Delhi, the TMC MP told reporters at the Kolkata airport that he would “hang himself in public” if he is proven guilty.
The TMC leader, going by his party penchant, accused BJP of indulging in “political vendetta” since it lost the state assembly election.
“I reiterate what I had said in November at public meetings that if any central agency can prove my involvement in any illegal transaction of even 10 paise, there will be no need to hold any CBI or ED probe, I will walk up the podium and get myself hanged publicly,” he said.
“I am ready to face any and every kind of investigation… Having lost the elections and failing to tackle Trinamool Congress politically, they (BJP) are now seeking revenge,” Abhishek Banerjee added.
The TMC MP further said that the BJP’s only objective is to use the investigative agencies to further their political goals.
After expressing unwillingness to travel to Delhi due to the pandemic, Rujira Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee’s wife and the latter had left for Delhi on Sunday. Earlier, Rujira Banerjee had urged the ED to allow her to appear before officials in Kolkata.
Mamata’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee summoned by ED for his alleged involvement in multi-crore coal pilferage scam
According to the reports, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, a Member of Parliament from the Diamond Harbour seat, has been summoned to appear before the investigating officer of the case on September 6. In addition, Rujira Banerjee, the wife of Abhishek Banerjee, has been asked to appear before them on September 1 in a case registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED had found that the TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was the beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. However, he has denied all charges.
The case was filed under criminal sections of the (PMLA) by the ED based on the FIR filed by the CBI in November 2020. The FIR had alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol.
The Enforcement Directorate had previously filed a complaint with a special court saying that incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee of Diamond Harbor, and his family got illicit income from illegal coal mining in the state. It went on to say that it was made possible by a “deep system” of political patronage fueled by “well-oiled” machinery.
The ED, in this remand note, alleged that certain illegal mining instances were flourishing in the state under the “patronage” of the political party in power.
