Bhopal- The Supreme Court of India has issued an order for the withdrawal of the Look Out Circular (LOC) against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Banerjee in connection with money laundering cases related to an alleged coal smuggling scam in West Bengal. The order was given by a bench comprising Justices S.K. Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia on July 28, 2023.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) issued the LOC against the high-profile couple. It informed the court that they would allow them to travel abroad if they reported the anti-money laundering agency a week in advance. The bench criticized the issuance of LOC, stating that it creates unnecessary delays and wastes time. The court emphasized that the prosecution must prove its case beyond all reasonable doubts in criminal matters.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Banerjees, argued that Abhishek Banerjee was scheduled to travel abroad on July 26 for medical reasons. He pointed out that the couple had previously travelled abroad with the court’s permission and had cooperated with the ongoing investigation.
The case against Abhishek Banerjee and his wife is based on a November 2020 FIR filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The alleged coal smuggling scam involves illegal mining and transportation of coal at the Eastern Coalfields Limited mines in West Bengal’s Kunustoria and Kajora areas. Anup Majhi alias Lala, a local coal smuggling ring leader, is the case’s prime suspect. The ED has alleged that Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, benefited from funds obtained through this illegal trade, a charge he denied.