Trinamool Congress MP and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for more than 11 hours in connection with the alleged West Bengal primary school recruitment scam. The marathon interrogation took place at the ED's CGO Complex office in Kolkata as part of an ongoing money-laundering investigation linked to alleged irregularities in teacher recruitment.
According to officials, Banerjee arrived at the ED office shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday in response to a summons issued earlier this month. Investigators reportedly prepared around two dozen questions focusing on the alleged money trail, financial transactions, digital records and statements made by other accused persons in the case.
The questioning is part of the ED's broader probe into the alleged recruitment scam involving appointments of primary school teachers in West Bengal. The agency has been investigating claims that jobs were secured through illegal payments and influence, while attempting to trace the flow of funds linked to the alleged irregularities.
After emerging from the ED office late at night, Banerjee claimed he had fully cooperated with investigators and accused central agencies of targeting opposition leaders. He maintained that he would not be intimidated by repeated summonses and questioned what he described as selective action against opposition politicians.
The interrogation came amid a series of investigations involving the senior TMC leader. In recent days, Banerjee has also faced lengthy questioning by the West Bengal CID in a separate case related to alleged discrepancies in legislators' signatures. The back-to-back interrogations have further intensified the political confrontation between the ruling Trinamool Congress and opposition parties.
Sources indicated that the ED is nearing the final stages of its investigation and may file its final prosecution complaint after completing key rounds of questioning. The agency is expected to examine Banerjee's responses alongside financial and documentary evidence already collected during the probe.
The school recruitment scam has remained one of West Bengal's most high-profile corruption investigations, triggering political controversy and legal proceedings over alleged irregularities in thousands of teaching and non-teaching appointments.
