ED Questions Abhishek Banerjee In Bengal Primary Recruitment Scam Probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday began questioning Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in connection with the alleged primary school recruitment scam in West Bengal.

According to an official, Banerjee appeared before investigators at the ED's CGO Complex office in Kolkata around 11 am after being summoned in the money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in primary teacher recruitment.

The questioning comes a day after Banerjee underwent an eight-and-a-half-hour interrogation by the state CID in a separate case related to the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures on documents connected to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.

Focus On Money Trail

Officials said investigators have prepared around two dozen questions for the Diamond Harbour MP and are focusing on tracing the alleged proceeds of crime.

"The entire session will be videographed, verified, and cross-checked with other evidence and the versions of other accused persons arrested in this matter," an ED official told PTI.

The agency is expected to confront Banerjee with financial documents, digital records and statements of other accused individuals as part of efforts to establish how funds allegedly moved through different accounts and entities.

"Our focus is on the money trail. Who handled funds, how they moved across accounts and entities, and whether these transactions were layered to conceal their origin," the official said.

Financial Records Under Scrutiny

The ED is also seeking explanations regarding what it described as inconsistencies between earlier submissions and materials recovered during searches.

Investigators are expected to question Banerjee about the role of intermediaries and entities that came under scrutiny during forensic analysis of financial and communication records.

"We have obtained bank records and communication data indicating the involvement of multiple fronts. Today's examination aims to reconcile those data points with Mr Banerjee's version," the official said.

Recruitment Scam Investigation

The alleged recruitment scam relates to purported irregularities in appointments to primary teaching positions in West Bengal.

As part of the ongoing probe, the ED has previously questioned and arrested several individuals. Among those examined by the agency is former minister Chandranath Sinha.

The agency's investigation is focused on determining whether money laundering offences were committed in connection with the recruitment process and identifying the alleged beneficiaries of the scheme.