CBI summons TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's brother-in-law in illegal coal-mining case

The CBI has summoned the brother-in-law of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on March 15 in connection with an illegal coal-mining case, officials said on Friday.

Ankush Arora, the husband of Banerjee's sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir, and his father Pawan Arora have been asked to appear before the investigating officer in the case on March 15, they said.

The central probe agency recently questioned Banerjee's wife Rujira and sister-in-law Menaka Gambhir in the case pertaining to illegal coal mining and pilferage from the mines of the Eastern Coalfields Limited.


West Bengal is set to witness an eight-phase Assembly election starting March 27 and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading a vigorous campaign in the state to oust the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had secured consecutive electoral wins in 2011 and 2016 under its leader Mamata Banerjee.

Abhishek Banerjee, the Lok Sabha MP from the Diamond Harbour constituency and the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, wields considerable influence in the party and has been leading the TMC's counter-attack in the run-up to the Assembly polls.