New Delhi: In a major relief to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Calcutta High Court’s April 13 order allowing the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate to interrogate him and Kuntal Ghosh, accused in a corruption case in exchange for a job in the school. was instructed to do. File a report based on that. However, soon after, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee accused the central agencies of trying to “harass” him by calling him for questioning despite a Supreme Court stay order.
On the TMC leader’s demand for urgent hearing, a bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said, “List the petition on April 24, 2023. Till the next date of listing, all directions against it shall be stayed.” In pursuance of the directions contained in the impugned order of the Single Judge Bench of the High Court dated 13th April by the petitioner (Banerjee).”
The high court had taken note of a public speech by Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in which he had reportedly said that Ghosh, one of the accused in the case, was being pressurized by the central probe agencies to name him. Case.
Senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for Banerjee, referred to an interview given by a high court judge to a news channel and alleged that some of the statements made by him were against Banerjee.
Singhvi also cited the High Court order which said that no police station in the state would register an FIR against the CBI and ED officials probing the recruitment scam.
The apex court bench, also comprising Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, took note of Singhvi’s submissions and stayed the operation of the HC order till April 24.
It took note of Singhvi’s contention that the High Court’s direction was ‘completely extraneous to the relief sought in the petition’ and moreover, Banerjee was not even made a party thereto.
The Calcutta High Court on April 13 passed a series of directions asking the police not to register an FIR against officials of the CBI or the ED probing the alleged recruitment scam related to the West Bengal Kendriya Vidyalaya Service Commission and West Bengal . without the permission of the Board of Primary Education.
It had asked central agencies to probe Banerjee’s role and said such an “enquiry should be done at the earliest”.
The high court was hearing a petition related to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools sponsored and aided by the West Bengal government.
The high court had said that along with TMC national general secretary Banerjee, central agencies may soon interrogate Ghosh as well.
Abhishek Banerjee had addressed a public meeting in Kolkata on 29 March where he claimed that Ghosh was being pressurized to name him.
Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the school job scam case and currently in custody, also soon alleged on March 31 that he was being pressured by investigators to allege collusion with TMC’s unofficial number two Banerjee.
“It is a matter of inquiry and investigation whether Kuntal Ghosh has taken cue from the public speech of alleged Abhishek Banerjee for which both he can be questioned by both ED and CBI and such questioning should be done expeditiously”, HC Said the judge.
Abhishek, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, tweeted pictures of the letter summoned to him by the CBI dated April 16, 2023, where a handwritten line shows that it was received on Monday at 1.45 pm.
“In their desperation to ‘harass’ and ‘target’ me, the BJP exposed the CBI and ED in contempt of court! The Supreme Court this morning stayed the Calcutta High Court order directing central agencies to I was allowed to serve the summons. Still, the summons was in hand. -Delivered today at 1:45 p.m. Situation critical!” TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Twitter.
When contacted, CBI officials refused to comment on the issue.
During this, Trinamool Congress MLA Jiban Krishna Saha has been arrested The CBI met him at his residence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Monday in connection with the job-for-bribery scam probe, officials said.