No coercive action against Abhishek till July 31: HC told The hearing has now been postponed to Monday

MP | 26 July 2023 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday informed the Calcutta High Court that it will not adopt any coercive action, including arrest, against Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee till July 31 in relation to the central agency’s ongoing probe in the West Bengal school recruitment case. 

The matter was listed for hearing on Wednesday at the single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh. The hearing has now been postponed to July 31. The matter was referred back to the bench of Justice Ghosh after he recused from hearing on Monday following certain technical objections raised by the ED relating to the matter being heard at his court. 

The matter related to whether the central agencies will summon and interrogate Abhishek in the case, the original order for which was given by Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. Later the matter was transferred to the court of Justice Amrita Sinha, who also upheld the earlier order by Justice Gangopadhyay. 

Abhishek’s counsel then approached the Supreme Court against the order by Justice Sinha. However, the division bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice P S Narasimha refused to interfere in the matter and instead advised that it was open for Abhishek to move the high court with a petition under Section 482 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). 

Accordingly, Abhishek’s counsel moved the single-judge bench of Justice Ghosh. It is important to note that Justice Sinha had earlier directed the CBI and the ED to place on record the list of beneficiaries in the alleged scam. 

Recently, the Central Bureau of Investigation had questioned Abhishek in connection to the case. Later, he was also summoned by the ED. https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/no-coercive-action-against-abhishek-till-july-31-hc-told-527052