Bengal jobs scam: SC refuses to interfere with central agencies' probe against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee
New Delhi/IBNS: In a huge setback, the Supreme Court on Monday refused to interfere with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the West Bengal teachers' recruitment scam.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha allowed Banerjee to avail all available remedies under the law but refused to interfere with the May 18 order of the Calcutta High Court.
"We are not going to interfere with the impugned order as this would stultify the investigation. Petitioner can avail the available remedies under the law," the bench said.
On May 26, the apex court ruled that the probe agencies can go on with their quizzing of Banerjee in the West Bengal teacher recruitment scam.
However, the top court had stayed the fine of Rs. 25 lakh which was imposed on him earlier by the Calcutta High Court.
Banerjee, who is the second most important leader of the ruling party in West Bengal and the nephew of CM Mamata Banerjee, got his name cropped up in the job scam case after arrested (now expelled) TMC youth leader Kuntal Ghosh said he was being pressured to take the name of the former.
In 2021, former state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested in the jobs scam after a huge cash of money worth Rs. 50 crore was seized from his aide Arpita Mukherjee's two flats.
Accusing the country's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of political vendetta, Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said the summons won't be able to stop TMC's campaign adding she would address Abhishek Banerjee's rallies virtually for now.
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