ED questions Abhishek Banerjee for 11 hours in teacher recruitment scam
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Monday questioned Trinamool Congress national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee for more than 11 hours in connection with the
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Monday questioned Trinamool Congress national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee for more than 11 hours in connection with the alleged primary school recruitment scam in West Bengal. Banerjee arrived at the ED's office at Kolkata's CGO Complex shortly before 11 am in response to a summons issued in the money laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary school teachers. According to officials, investigators prepared around two dozen questions for the TMC leader as part of the probe. Read Full Story The prolonged interrogation came a day after Banerjee was questioned for nearly eight-and-a-half hours by the West Bengal CID in connection with the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures on documents related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
Speaking to reporters after leaving the ED office at around 10.15 pm, Banerjee said he had fully cooperated with the investigation and answered every question put to him. He noted that he had appeared before central investigating agencies multiple times in the past, including on two occasions in Delhi, and would continue to cooperate whenever summoned. Banerjee alleged that efforts were being made to intimidate and weaken opposition forces. He claimed there had been a sustained attempt over the past month to suppress political opponents and silence those unwilling to bow to pressure. He also accused authorities of removing eligible voters' names from electoral rolls under various pretexts and exerting pressure on opposition counting agents during elections.
The TMC leader further alleged that attempts to weaken the opposition through conspiracies, defections and political poaching would not succeed. "Those who fight for the people's interests will neither bow to pressure nor surrender," he said, asserting that opposition voices would continue their fight despite repeated summonses and investigations. Referring to the recruitment scam case, Banerjee said the FIR was filed four years ago and the CBI began its investigation in June 2022. He noted that several arrests were made in July 2022 but maintained that the matter remained unresolved. He reiterated his support for a transparent, impartial and merit-based recruitment process, saying eligible candidates should receive the jobs they deserve without delay.
The ED is investigating alleged financial irregularities and money laundering linked to recruitment processes in West Bengal's primary education sector. The agency has not publicly disclosed details of Banerjee's responses during Monday's questioning. Ends
The BriefWire