Teachers' recruitment 'scam': CBI summons TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, he says 'contempt of court'

The CBI hand-delivered a summons to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee for questioning in connection with the teachers' recruitment scam case on Monday, allegedly over two hours after the Supreme Court had stayed a high court order for his interrogation. An agency official said the notice was prepared on Sunday and delivered on Monday.

Terming the action of the agency "contempt of court", Banerjee tweeted, "SC stayed the Calcutta HC's order in the morning that granted permission to the central agencies to summon me. Yet, the 'SUMMON' was HAND-DELIVERED today at 1:45 pm Grave State of affairs!"

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, which decided to hear the plea on April 24, had stayed the direction of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the High Court that TMC leader Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the case, can be questioned by the ED and the CBI, and such "interrogation should be made soon."


The stay was granted at around 11.15 AM.

"The petition was in the mentioning list. Dr A M Singhvi has adverted to the contents of the order and the directions passed by which the ED and CBI have been directed to file a report with respect to a probe in connection with a public speech by Abhishek Banerjee. List on April 24, 2023. Till the next date of listing, there shall be stay on all action against petitioner in relation to the directions passed in impugned order," the apex court ordered.

The Calcutta High Court on April 13 had passed a slew of directions, asking the police not to lodge FIRs on complaints against officers of the CBI or the ED who are investigating the educational recruitment scam of the West Bengal Central School Service Commission and the West Bengal Board of Primary Education without its permission.

It had asked the central agencies to probe the role of state TMC leaders in the case.

The apex court also stayed the order of Justice Gangopadhyay's April 13 order directing the West Bengal police not to lodge any FIR against CBI and Enforcement Directorate officers probing the school jobs-for-bribes scam.