Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation at its Kolkata office on Saturday morning in a case pertaining to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in West Bengal, reported PTI.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the High Court had directed on April 13 the two central agencies to question Banerjee in the case. The order was challenged by the Trinamool Congress MP in the Supreme Court who said that the judge had expressed his dislike for him in an interview with ABP Ananda news channel.
On April 17, the Supreme Court had stayed the order. On April 28, it ordered the High Court Chief Justice to reassign the case from Justice Gangopadhyay’s bench to some other bench. However, on Thursday, the High Court allowed the two agencies to question Banerjee.
The case pertains to jobs being allegedly given to candidates in return for money instead of candidates who had qualified in the recruitment process in 2019. A dozen officials of the state education department, including former minister Partha Chatterjee, have been arrested in the case.
While the Central Bureau of Investigation is probing the criminal aspect of the scam, the Enforcement Directorate is looking into the money-trail involved in the alleged irregularities in the recruitment in schools.
Banerjee, who was campaigning in Bankura, had returned to Kolkata on Friday after the Central Bureau of Investigation issued summons.
Later on Friday, Banerjee, who is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, delivered a speech from atop his vehicle, daring the central agency to arrest him if it has any proof of corruption or misconduct against him.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Enforcement Directorate conducted a raid at the home of Sujay Krishna Bhadra, who is considered close to the Trinamool top brass, in connection with its investigation, an official of the central agency said.
The raid was conducted at the Behala house of “Kalighat er Kaku” (Kalighat’s uncle) as he is popularly known, the official added.
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