Abhishek Banerjee did not appear in Teacher recruitment case, ED may summon again

National General Secretary and Member of Parliament (MP) of Trinamool Congress, Abhishek Banerjee, did not comply with the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday. Instead, he sent a 15-page letter to the ED office, explaining his absence and citing his engagement in party-related activities outside Kolkata.

The ED had requested documents pertaining to the past few years, which Abhishek stated would require time to gather. Despite his prior announcement to the press about his non-attendance, no official communication was sent to the ED via email or letter. The ED is now considering issuing a second summons to Abhishek Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee was summoned by the ED in connection with a corruption case related to recruitment. The scheduled appearance was on Tuesday, June 13, at 11 am. However, Abhishek Banerjee declared that he would not be able to attend until the conclusion of the ongoing panchayat elections. On the day he received the notice from the ED, he was attending a program in Nadia district.

Abhishek Banerjee's absence at the ED office prompted him to state, "BJP wants to sabotage the program. I won't let public relations suffer by going to the ED office." ED sources indicate that they will proceed to send another notice after the stipulated time period on Tuesday. Abhishek Banerjee's wife, Rujira Banerjee, was previously summoned by the ED. Following her appearance, Abhishek Banerjee was summoned by the ED.

ED officials are planning to consult with lawyers regarding the recruitment corruption case. They will seek legal advice on sending a subsequent summons to Abhishek Banerjee. Investigators are unwilling to wait for his questioning until the conclusion of the panchayat elections. The decision on informing the court of Abhishek Banerjee's non-compliance will be made by ED officials. Notably, Abhishek Banerjee has previously been questioned multiple times by the ED.