TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s relative summoned by ED in money laundering case

The TMC MP’s relative was denied immigration clearance on the basis of a Look Out Circular issued against her by the federal probe agency

TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir was on September 10 evening stopped by the ED at the Kolkata airport from flying abroad and was handed over summons to join investigation in a money laundering case, official sources said.

Ms. Gambhir had reached the airport to take a flight to Bangkok departing around 9 p.m..

The sources on September 11 said that Ms. Gambhir was denied immigration clearance on the basis of a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued against her by the federal probe agency.

She was stopped by the immigration authorities and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was informed following which they reached the airport, spoke to her and denied her permission to travel, they said.

The ED officials subsequently handed over summons to her seeking her appearance before the agency on September 12 at 11 a.m. at its office in Salt Lake area in Kolkata for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal pilferage case of West Bengal, the sources said.

She is understood to have left the airport for her Kolkata home around 10.30 p.m. on September 10.

Ms. Gambhir has not been questioned by the ED in this case till now. The CBI had earlier questioned her in the said case.