Abhishek Banerjee Reaches ED Office for Bengal School Job Scam Probe

Kolkata (IANS): Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today for questioning regarding West Bengal’s multi-crore cash-for-school-job scam.

Banerjee, the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, arrived at the ED’s Salt Lake office just before 11:00 AM—well ahead of his scheduled noon deadline. He declined to answer questions from reporters waiting outside the building.

A Stark Contrast in Security

The atmosphere at the central government office (CGO) complex on Monday remained remarkably routine, marking a significant departure from Banerjee’s previous interrogation sessions during the former Mamata Banerjee-led administration.

• Past Sessions: Previous appearances saw heavy security deployments, restricted access for journalists, and sweeping traffic blockades throughout the Salt Lake area.
• Current Session: The area operated normally with standard operations, experiencing no extra police presence or Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) deployments.

Case Background & Corporate Links

While both the CBI and the ED have listed Banerjee’s name in their respective charge sheets for the ongoing parallel investigations into the school job case, authorities have not officially named him as an accused party.

The ED’s specific interest stems from their investigation into Leaps & Bounds Private Limited, a company where Banerjee previously served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

The sweeping investigation into the institutional hiring scandal originated from orders by former Calcutta High Court Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who has since transitioned to politics and serves as a BJP Lok Sabha member. The ED subsequently entered the case to track the financial trail, filing separate money laundering reports.