Abhishek Banerjee reached ED office, investigation intensified in school recruitment scam; Investigation continues on money laundering angle also

Kolkata. Congress MP and senior leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday appeared at the Kolkata office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case related to the alleged school recruitment scam, where he was interrogated at length. This action has taken place at a time when West Bengal CID had also called him for questioning a day earlier in the alleged fake signature case. The appearance before the investigating agencies for two consecutive days has created a new stir in the politics of the state.

Money trail is the center of ED investigation-
According to ED officials, this questioning is part of the investigation into a money laundering case related to alleged irregularities in primary teacher recruitment. The main focus of the agency is on linking the so-called money trail i.e. the source of money, its transfer and its access to various accounts.

The investigating agency is trying to find out through what means the alleged money moved from one place to another and whether a complex financial structure was used to hide these transactions. During interrogation, questions were asked on the basis of bank records, digital data and statements of other accused.

Scrutiny of documents and transactions-
ED claims that it has banking records, electronic evidence and many important documents, on the basis of which the investigation is being taken forward. The agency is also investigating to which accounts and institutions the alleged money reached and which middlemen played a role in it.

According to officials, an important part of the investigation is to clarify the role of those entities and individuals whose names have cropped up in the forensic analysis. Additionally, alleged discrepancies found in earlier statements and recent documents are also being investigated.

Banerjee has been under investigation before also-
Abhishek Banerjee’s name has already come up in the investigation of many cases and central agencies have interrogated him. However, he has consistently rejected all the allegations and has promised to cooperate in the investigation.

This time the investigation mainly focuses on the teacher recruitment scam and the financial transactions related to it, which has been a big issue in West Bengal politics for a long time.

Direction of further investigation-
According to ED officials, further action will be decided based on the facts emerging during the interrogation. The agency is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the alleged money laundering network, banking trail, digital evidence and roles of the people concerned.

The objective of the investigating agency is to clarify the entire financial flow and understand who played a role in the alleged transactions. In the coming days, more inquiries or new steps can be taken in this matter, due to which the scope of investigation can increase further.