New Delhi/Kolkata, Feb 21: A CBI team on Sunday went to the Kolkata residence of Abhishek Banerjee, TMC MP and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, serving a notice to his wife and sister-in-law to join the probe in the coal pilferage case, a development that has further raised the political temperature in poll-bound West Bengal.
The team handed over the notice issued by Investigation Officer Umesh Kumar, Additional Superintendent of Police in the CBI, in connection with the case of theft of coal from the mines of Eastern Coalfields Ltd in West Bengal in which Anup Manjhi is the alleged mastermind, sources said.
The notice issued on Sunday asked Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Banerjee to remain present at her address on Harish Mukherjee Road on the same day “for the purpose of answering certain questions relating to the case”, they said.
The CBI has also asked the TMC MP’s sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir to join the probe on Monday when she will be quizzed by the investigation team, the sources said. The Trinamool Congress and the BJP targeted each other over the CBI action. “At 2 PM today, the CBI served a notice in the name of my wife. We have full faith in the law of the land. However, if they think they can use these ploys to intimidate us, they are mistaken. We are not the ones who would ever be cowed down,” Abhishek Banerjee tweeted.
Alleging political vendetta, the Trinamool Congress took a swipe at the ruling BJP at the Centre, saying “CBI is its only ally” that is left now. The BJP hit out at the TMC, accusing it of politicising the matter, and said the law will take its course.The central probe agency had on Friday carried out a fresh round of searches in connection with the case, they said.
The assembly elections are due in April-May in the state where the BJP has launched a vigorous campaign to oust the ruling TMC which had secured consecutive wins in 2011 and 2016 under its leader Mamata Banerjee.
Abhishek Banerjee, a Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour constituency, wields considerable influence in the party and has been leading the TMC’s counter-attack. (PTI)
