Abhishek Banerjee’s sister-in-law at ED office after midnight summons’ ‘typo’

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s sister-in-law, Maneka Gambhir, arrived at the the Enforcement Directorate’s Kolkata office Monday afternoon for questioning in connection with the coal smuggling case.

Maneka Gambhir had earlier been summoned at 12.30 am (at night) instead of 12.30 pm (in the afternoon), in apparent violation of rules that say a woman cannot be questioned at night. Photos online show Gambhir standing outside the locked.

“I was served with notice to report at 12:30 am and so I had come,” Gambhir later told a local news channel, according to news agency PTI. PTI further said the ED later issued a fresh summons to Maneka Gambhir, explaining that the first had been sent ‘erroneously.

The central agency called the notice a ‘typograhical error’.

Maneka Gambhir had been served the first summons Saturday after the Enforcement Directorate stopped her from flying to Bangkok.

Maneka Gambhir, her husband, and father-in-law were earlier questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation over the alleged transfer of funds to a foreign bank. It has been alleged this transaction is related to the coal smuggling.

The Calcutta High Court in August directed the ED to question Gambhir at its regional office in the city and not Delhi and also not to take coercive steps till the next date of hearing.

This case is being investigated by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) with Anup Majee the alleged kingpin of a money laundering case related to Eastern Coalfield Limited’s mines in Kunustoria and Kajora, in and around Asansol in Bengal.