Cal HC grants relief to TMC’s Abhishek Banerjee, rules against coercive action by ED

The Calcutta High Court on Friday granted relief to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee, directing the ED not to take coercive steps against him in connection with its probe into the school jobs scam in West Bengal.

The court, however, did not quash the Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), equivalent to an FIR, filed by the Enforcement Directorate against Banerjee.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh directed the ED that no coercive steps can be taken against the Trinamool Congress MP based on the ECIR. The court maintained that evidence produced by the ED was not sufficient to warrant Banerjee’s arrest.

It also said that the investigation against Banerjee into the alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers in government and government-sponsored schools will continue.