The Calcutta High Court on Thursday questioned the alleged ‘promptness’ of the Kolkata Police over a cyber complaint lodged against the Enforcement Directorate’s special investigation team (SIT) that conducted a raid at a company linked to Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee.
The bench of Justice Amrita Sinha said, ‘I wish your officers acted with such promptitude in each and every general diary (GD) case lodged in the state. Why your officers are so hyperactive only in this matter? Is there any reason behind it? Your officers shall not take any steps pursuant to the cyber complaint because the ED has maintained that they will not use the files (retrieved from an office of Banerjee’s firm).’
A complaint was lodged at the Kolkata Police’s cyber crime cell by Leaps and Bounds Private Limited in which Banerjee, a TMC MP, is the chief executive officer (CEO). It was alleged that the ED officials downloaded some files in the firm’s computers during a raid in their office.
The ED counsel on Thursday alleged that the police were harassing the central agency officials in the name of the investigation. A report has already been submitted to the court on the 16 files allegedly downloaded, he said.
When learning that a GD was filed against the ED team members, Justice Sinha asked, ‘Is it a criminal case? You cannot take any action in the pending matters. The government lawyer is recording your statement.’
The ED informed the HC that it has started probing alleged links between the Bengali film industry and the scams involving hiring of teachers and municipal staff. The ED submitted that an individual from the film industry has been linked with a money trail to the proceeds of the scam and that he would return the money. It said unlike CBI, they were restrained from probing alleged money trails linking those sent large sums of money with proceeds from the scam.
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