The Calcutta High Court's order of imposing a fine of Rs 25 lakh on Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee while dismissing his plea in connection with the school jobs scam case, was stayed by the Supreme Court today, Friday, May 26, as stated in a PTI copy.
"Re-list in the week commencing July 10. Till the next date of listing, the imposition of the cost part by the impugned order shall remain stayed," the bench said.
Abhishek Banerjee's name had come up when a local businessman and an accused in the school jobs scam had alleged that central investigating agencies were pressuring him to name Banerjee, who is the general secretary of the TMC, in the case.
The agency's summons came within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court dismissing a petition filed by Banerjee seeking recall of a previous court order, which said probe agencies such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) could interrogate him in the teacher recruitment scam case.
The nephew of the West Bengal Chief Minister, Abhishek Banerjee, had alleged that while TMC leaders were harassed, the BJP leaders who had been involved in the case were allowed to go scot-free without being subjected to questioning.
Alleged involvement in not one but two scams
The two-time TMC Member of Parliament from Diamond Harbour was questioned by the ED twice in the coal pilferage case in the agency's office in New Delhi in 2021 and also in Kolkata in 2022.
There are two cases ongoing against the MP, while the CBI is probing the criminal aspect of the coal scam, the ED is looking into the money trail involved in the alleged irregularities in school recruitment.
