CBI team reaches Mamata's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's residence, summons his wife in coal scam case

The CBI officials have reached the TMC MP's residence in Kolkata to serve notice to his wife in the coal scam case, sources within the probe agency said.

Kolkata: A three-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation on Sunday visited TMC MP and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's residence ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.

CBI officials have reached the TMC MP's residence in south Kolkata to serve notice to his wife to join the probe in the coal smuggling case, sources within the probe agency said. 

The central probe agency recently conducted multiple raids at 13 locations in four districts of West Bengal -- Purulia, Bankura, Pashchim Bardhaman and Kolkata -- in connection with the coal scam case.

The searches were conducted at the premises of Amiya Steel Pvt Ltd in Kolkata and Bankura and that of Joydeb Mandal, the alleged deputy of the suspected kingpin of the racket Anup Manjhi.

In November last year, the CBI had booked Manjhi alias Lala, Eastern Coalfield Ltd General Managers Amit Kumar Dhar (of then Kunustoria area now Pandaveswar area) and Jayesh Chandra Rai (Kajor area) besides ECL Chief of Security Tanmay Das, Area Security Inspector, Kunustoria Dhananjay Rai and SSI and security in-charge Kajor area Debashish Mukherjee.

Manjhi is allegedly involved in illegal mining and theft of coal from leasehold mines of ECL in Kunustoria and Kajora areas. The illegal excavation and theft of coal in the leasehold area of ECL was allegedly done in "connivance" with officials of ECL, CISF and Railways, PTI reported.

Abhishek Banerjee punching bag of BJP

Banerjee, a second-term MP from South 24 Parganas district's Diamond Harbour, has been the BJP's prime target amid a high-octane election campaign for the upcoming polls due in April-May.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently visited the state for BJP’s poll campaign, had accused the Chief Minister of working only for "welfare of the nephew" instead of well-being of the masses. He had also alleged that the agenda of the ruling TMC is to make the nephew the next chief minister of the state.

"While the Modi government is working towards ‘jan kalyan’ (serving people), the government of Mamata didi is busy towards 'Bhatija Kalyan' (welfare of the nephew) in Bengal. The welfare of the masses is not the agenda of the TMC government. She (Mamata Banerjee) is wondering when she can make her nephew chief minister," Shah had said at a poll rally.