TMC leader’s wife questioned by ED in coal pilferage case

Rujira Banerjee, wife of senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee, underwent a nearly four-hour interrogation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) today regarding the coal theft case. ED officials presented Rujira with a three-pagequestionnaire upon her arrival at the CGO Complex office. The interrogation included inquiries about Rujira’s alleged foreign bank accounts, an ED representative confirmed to PTI. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refrained from commenting on her nephew’s wife’s grilling by ED officials, citing family privacy and Rujira’s autonomy to address the situation if deemed necessary. Rujira had been intercepted at Kolkata airport on Monday while en route to UAE with her children. She was subsequently summoned to appear before the agency today at 11 am, though she arrived at 12.40 pm, accompanied by her lawyer. Abhishek Banerjee has criticised the questioning as a harassment tactic targeted at his family, asserting that it is an attempt to disrupt his grassroots campaign preceding the state’s panchayat elections. In anticipation of potential disturbances, heightened security measures were enforced around the CGO Complex. Rujira has previously been questioned by both the CBI and ED concerning the coal theft case. The investigation revolves around allegations of illegal coal mining from deserted mines of Eastern Coalfields, a case involving a substantial amount of money, reportedly in the billions. The ED’s specific role in this investigation is to uncover the money trail related to the case. The TMC has labelled the ED’s actions as a politically-motivated vendetta spearheaded by the BJP. Kunal Ghosh, TMC’s state general secretary, criticised the alleged harassment and political manoeuvring of the BJP. The state BJP denied these allegations, maintaining that both the CBI and ED operate independently, untouched by political influence. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar suggested that if TMC harbours any grievances, the party should take the matter to court.