The Supreme Court, on Friday, directed TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee to inform the Enforcement Directorate in advance before traveling abroad and seek the necessary order for their travel.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju, representing the ED, informed the bench of Justices SK Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia that Abhishek Banerjee has already travelled abroad.
ASG Raju apprised the court that if the Banerjee couple provides one week’s notice regarding their travel plans, the ED will issue the required orders. Further, the court instructed ED to withdraw the Look Out Circular.
The court stated, “In any case the LOC shall stand withdrawn.”
The matter before the court pertained to the plea filed by the Banerjee couple seeking permission to travel abroad. ASG Raju stated that permissions have been granted periodically for their travel.
The court observed that despite prior intimation, Rujira Banerjee was stopped at the airport, and the presence of the LOC creates a scenario where individuals can be halted at various locations, that results to the wastage of judicial and concerned party’s time.
In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court sought clarification from the Enforcement Directorate regarding the issuance of a Look Out Circular against TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee concerning money laundering cases linked to alleged coal irregularities in West Bengal.
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Sunil Fernandes appeared for Rujira Banerjee sought direction from the ED to cancel, rescind, or withdraw the Lookout Circular issued against them, which restricted her from traveling abroad.
As per Rujira Banerjee’s application, she, along with her minor children, was detained at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata by the respondent ED and barred from traveling to Dubai on June 5, despite having previously informed the ED of her travel details on June 3.
Previously, ED filed a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), based on a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI, which alleges a multi-crore coal pilferage scam connected to Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas of Asansol, West Bengal. Abhishek Banerjee has denied all the charges.
Meanwhile, in another petition, the court asked ED to submit a reply and adjourned the matter.
Abhishek Banerjee challenged the summons issued against him under Section 50 of the PMLA, seeking to quash the summons and an appropriate order directing the respondent not to issue any Summons under Section 50 PMLA requiring their appearance in Delhi instead of their hometown, Kolkata.
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