Abhishek Banerjee
NEW DELHI: Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday said that he would not ‘cower down’ even if his throat was slit, after being questioned for more than 11 hours by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal.His remarks came after the ED summoned the party’s national general secretary for questioning in a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of primary teachers in the state.Speaking to reporters after leaving the ED’s office in Kolkata, Banerjee said: “I was questioned for 8-8.30 hours yesterday and for 11 hours today. This is a 2023 case and I have appeared before the agency 10-12 times. I won’t say whether there is a political pressure or not. The less it is said for BJP, the better it is. On one side, they break our party and indulge in post-poll violence. Even if you slit my throat, I won’t cower down. I will appear before the agency if they summon me even in the future.” The questioning session at the ED’s CGO Complex office lasted for over 11 hours and came after Banerjee was interrogated for around eight-and-a-half hours by the West Bengal CID in connection with an alleged forgery case involving MLAs’ signatures. According to officials, the ED questioned Banerjee as part of its ongoing probe into the alleged primary school recruitment scam and confronted him with financial documents, digital records and statements made by other accused persons.Officials said investigators were examining the alleged money trail linked to the scam and seeking clarifications regarding financial transactions and entities under scrutiny.Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee said he had fully cooperated with the agency and would continue to do so in the future.”In the past, I have cooperated with the investigating agencies, be it the CBI or the ED. I did the same thing today. If they call me again, I will surely come,” he said.Banerjee also alleged that repeated summonses were part of an attempt to weaken opposition parties.”There has been a sustained attempt over the past month to intimidate, weaken and suppress opposition forces that refuse to bow down, and to create an opposition-free West Bengal,” he said.The ED’s probe is linked to alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in government-aided schools in West Bengal.Earlier this year, the agency attached immovable properties worth around Rs 57.78 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with the School Service Commission assistant teacher recruitment scam.The investigation stems from the wider cash-for-jobs case that came to national attention in July 2022, when former West Bengal education minister Partha Chatterjee was arrested after cash worth more than Rs 50 crore and gold jewellery worth Rs 4.5 crore were recovered during raids linked to the alleged scam.The ED has alleged that proceeds of crime generated through illegal recruitment were routed through multiple entities and companies. Investigators have also examined transactions linked to Leaps & Bounds Pvt Ltd, a company where Banerjee had earlier served as a director.The Supreme Court, in a judgment delivered on April 3 last year quashed the appointments of more than 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff, holding that the entire recruitment process was tainted and vitiated.Banerjee is also scheduled to appear before the state CID on Tuesday in connection with the alleged forgery of MLAs’ signatures case.
