 "SC delays ruling on Abhishek Banerjee's plea over ED summons in job scam")
The Supreme Court has reserved its order on the plea by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee and his wife, Rujira Banerjee, challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summons related to a money laundering investigation in the West Bengal school jobs scam.
Background on school jobs scam
The school jobs scam involves alleged irregularities in the recruitment process for state-run schools, where jobs were purportedly exchanged for monetary gains.
The ED’s investigation led to a company named Leaps and Bounds, where Abhishek Banerjee and some family members served as directors. The Calcutta High Court previously directed the ED to provide property details of the company’s directors.
Abhishek Banerjee, who was summoned by the ED to appear on October 3, did not comply as he was leading a TMC protest in Delhi. His wife, Rujira Banerjee, appeared before the agency on October 11, while his parents, Lata and Amit Banerjee, were summoned on October 6 and 7, respectively.
Enforcement Directorate investigation
In October, Rujira Banerjee was questioned for over seven hours as part of the ED’s probe into the cash-for-jobs scam. The agency investigated her involvement in two companies linked to the scam, where she once held significant positions.
The ED has also conducted search operations in rice mills across West Bengal's Nadia district, suspecting that proceeds from the scam were invested in these businesses.
Calcutta High Court’s previous ruling
In September 2023, the Calcutta High Court granted Abhishek Banerjee relief by directing the ED not to take coercive steps against him based on the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) filed in connection with the school jobs scam.
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However, the court did not quash the ECIR and allowed the investigation to continue, stating that the evidence provided by the ED was insufficient to justify Banerjee’s arrest.