ED can go to Kolkata & conduct investigation: Supreme Court
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that they can go to Kolkata and conduct the investigation in a money-laundering probe, linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, in which the agency had issued summons to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee.
As the ED referred to how the CBI officials were gheraoed' in Kolkata earlier and said that Abhishek Banerjee is politically influential , the Apex Court observed it may say the Kolkata police shall extend all cooperation and the state would be bound by that, the moment agency would make a requisition 72 hours in advance.
A bench headed by Justice U U Lalit was hearing an appeal of Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee against a Delhi High Court order dismissing their petition seeking quashing of summons issued to them in the money-laundering probe linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioners, said they are not preventing investigation in the matter and the ED can come to Kolkata and conduct the probe.
“Supposing in case we say whatever documents, whatever records you need, every page shall be made available and you can come down to Kolkata,” the bench, also comprising Justices S R Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia, told Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju who was representing the ED.
“Mylords are aware I should not say, there are instances where the CBI officers were gheraoed' also,” Raju said.
On May 17 last year, a high voltage political drama was witnessed in Kolkata as TMC supporters held demonstrations at various places, while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had offered to court arrest protesting detention of two West Bengal ministers in the Narada case by the CBI.
During the hearing on Thursday, Sibal said ED has a regional office in Kolkata. “I am not preventing investigation. I am saying please come and investigate me. The issue is not of investigation, the issue is where. I will answer all your questions, you come to Kolkata. They say no, we will not come, you come to Delhi. That's the question,” Sibal said.