ED officials have been asked to appear at Kalighat Police Station today. (Representational)
The Kolkata Police has summoned three senior Enforcement Directorate officials in connection with an audiotape leak case. The tape was aired by a news channel before the Bengal elections last year.
In September last year, the ED had approached the Delhi High Court seeking to cancel summons issued by the Kolkata Police to its officers. The court stayed the summons but allowed the investigation to continue. Now, a fresh summons has been issued in connection with the case filed at the Kalighat Police station and ED officials have been asked to appear before the detective department at Kalighat Police Station at noon today.
The Kolkata Police is probing a case against a businessman, who was heard talking to an ED officer on topics like cattle smuggling and coal scam in a purported audio clip, which was leaked before the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.
The fresh summons comes a day ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew and Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee appearing before the ED. Mr Banerjee has alleged that the ED has been acting politically at the behest of the BJP.
Mr Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee are being questioned by the ED in an alleged money laundering case linked to the Bengal coal scam.
The TMC MP linked the summons to the BJP's recent victory in the assembly elections in four states and questioned the dismissal of his appeal in the High Court challenging the questioning in Delhi.
"I will go to the Supreme Court. That path is open to me. And we have faith in the topmost justice system in the country," he had said.
Mr Banerjee said he was going to Delhi, even though he has been advised bed rest by his doctor after a recent eye procedure.
The 34-year-old Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary was today seen entering the new office of the central probe agency in central Delhi around 11 am.
Officials said Abhishek Banerjee's statement will be recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and he is expected to be confronted with some "evidence" gathered by investigators in the case.
The case involves alleged illegal mining and theft of coal from Kunustoria and Kajoria coal fields of Eastern Coalfield Limited. The CBI is probing allegations that the coal mafia paid regular kickbacks to leaders of Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress. The alleged pilferage results in loss of revenue for the Centre and the states in thousands of crores, according to news agency PTI.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Centre of unleashing its agencies on her nephew and his family. She has also claimed that some BJP ministers are "hand in glove" with the coal mafia.