CBI tallies answers of his kin, Abhishek Banerjee says not afraid of it

A CBI source said the agency was likely to take the help of the Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate financial transactions. The CBI wanted details of two foreign accounts and transactions related to them, the source said.

Two days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, Rujira, and her sister Menaka Gambhir in a coal pilferage case, the agency on Thursday said it was evaluating their statements and would corroborate them.

A CBI source said the agency was likely to take the help of the Financial Intelligence Unit to investigate financial transactions. The CBI wanted details of two foreign accounts and transactions related to them, the source said.

Another CBI source said Rujira may be questioned again as the agency was not satisfied with her answers.

Meanwhile, Abhishek on Thursday accused the BJP of misusing the CBI against its political opponents and said he was not afraid of the agency

His sister-in-law Gambhir was questioned by the CBI on Monday and his wife at their south Kolkata home on Tuesday. They were served notice on Sunday. The coal case was filed on November 27, 2020 under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant), and under the Prevention of Corruption Act. It is related to alleged illegal mining and theft of coal from the Kunustoria and Kajoria coal fields of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL).

The FIR lists several senior ECL officials and unidentified officials of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Railways and other government departments.

Abhishek on Thursday said despite CBI notices to his family, he would “not bow my head”.

“The CBI is behind me. I say, why only the CBI, ED or income tax? Put whatever else there is behind me. But remember, I will not bow my head,” he said at a public meeting in Thakurnagar.

“The Centre is simply misusing these agencies to hatch a conspiracy against its political adversaries like me. I challenge them to carry on with their activities, we are not afraid,” the Diamond Harbour MP said

He wondered how the BJP can call the state ruling party pro-Bangladesh for chanting “Jai Bangla (hail Bengal)”, when its own slogan “Sonar Bangla” (golden Bengal) is part of the national anthem of Bangladesh.

“They (BJP) call us pro-Bangladesh for chanting ‘Jai Bangla’ slogan. But what about their own slogan ‘Sonar Bangla’ which is the national anthem of Bangladesh,” the TMC MP said.

“Jai Bangla” was a popular slogan during the Bangladesh liberation war, while the BJP is promising people to make the state “Sonar Bangla” if voted to power in the coming Assembly election.

The saffron party has been accusing the Mamata Banerjee government of appeasing Muslims and failing to stop infiltration from Bangladesh.

“I am a bhumiputra (son) of this soil. I am not an outsider like you. The voters of Bengal will reject you,” he said apparently referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president JP Nadda who held public meetings here recently.

Abhishek, also the youth wing president of the TMC, accused Shah of misleading members of the Matua community on providing citizenship to them.

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