SC asks ED to inform if Look Out Circular issued against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, his wife
Jul 24, 2023
New Delhi [India], July 24 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought to know from Enforcement Directorate (ED) whether a Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee in relation to alleged money laundering cases connected with coal in West Bengal.
The court asked ED whether a lookout notice had been issued for Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee and why they should not be allowed to travel abroad.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought instructions on whether there is LOC against the Banerjee couple.
A bench of Justices S K Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia made this observation while hearing the applications moved by Rujira.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and Advocate Sunil Fernandes appeared for Rujira. In the application filed by Rujira Banerjee, she has sought direction to ED to cancel/rescind/withdraw the Lookout Circular issued against them prohibiting her from travelling abroad.
According to the application, Rujira Banerjee was detained along with her minor children at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata by the Respondent ED and restrained from travelling to Dubai on June 5, despite prior intimation of the travel details to the ED on June 3.
"The petitioner claimed that the Respondent has further illegally forbidden the Applicant from travelling abroad through its email dated 10.06.2023 on bogus and flimsy grounds. The aforesaid action is not only patently illegal but also undermines the orders passed by this Court in the present SLP and grossly violates the fundamental rights of the Applicant under Article 21 of the Constitution of India while causing harassment to the Applicant, despite her repeated cooperation in the instant matter, and also the email dated 10.06.2023, vide which the Respondent/ED has categorically disallowed the Applicant to travel abroad, even after the Applicant duly complying with the summons issued on 05.06.2023, and appeared before the concerned official of the Respondent/ED on 08.06.2023," the application said.
The ED had lodged a case under the provisions of the PMLA based on a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.
Local coal operative Anup Majee is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case. The ED had claimed that the TMC MP was a beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. Banerjee has denied all charges.
