Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. file | Photo Credit: PTI
The Calcutta High Court on May 12 said it would next hear on Monday Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s petition. teacher recruitment case One by Soumen Nandy, in which a judge directed the CBI not to exclude his public speech from the purview of the probe.
Soumen Nandy Vs. State of West Bengal the case was transferred from Court of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Justice Amrita Sinha by the Acting Chief Justice of the High Court on a direction from the Supreme Court.
Justice Sinha, while allowing Mr Banerjee’s applications to be impleaded as a party in the matter and recalling the order passed by Justice Gangopadhyay, directed that the matter be heard on Monday.
On the apprehensions expressed by his lawyers about any possible action by the central probe agencies, the judge said the doors of the courts are always open.
Mr Banerjee’s name had cropped up in a complaint filed by Arrested accused Kuntal Ghoshwho alleged in it that he was being pressurized by the central investigative agencies to name Mr. Banerjee and other TMC leaders in the recruitment case.
Justice Gangopadhyay, while hearing a petition by Soumen Nandy related to alleged irregularities in West Bengal government-sponsored and aided school recruitments, had on April 13 said that accused Kuntal Ghosh along with Abhishek Banerjee could be interrogated by central agencies soon .
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He had directed that all aspects, including a public speech by Mr Banerjee, should not be out of the CBI’s scrutiny and if required be carried out by the ED (Enforcement Directorate).
TMC MP Banerjee addressed a public meeting in Kolkata on 29 March.
Mr Banerjee had moved the Supreme Court challenging the order and his lawyers referred to an interview given by Justice Gangopadhyay to a news channel in which he allegedly spoke against the TMC leader.
On 28 April, on the orders of the Supreme Court, the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court rescheduled two cases – Soumen Nandy Vs. State of West Bengal And Ramesh Malik Vs. State of West BengalFrom the court of Justice Gangopadhyay to the court of Justice Sinha.
Mr Banerjee moved the court of Justice Sinha seeking impleadment as a party in the Soumen Nandi case and seeking recall of the order relating to him.