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This story is from November 20, 2023

HC junks West Bengal mantri plea to scrap coal case summons

The Delhi High Court has rejected the request to cancel the summons issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to the Law Minister of West Bengal, Moloy Ghatak, in relation to the coal theft case in the state. Ghatak did not appear before the ED on 11 out of 12 occasions, which led the court to deny his plea. In such circumstances, relief cannot be considered by this court when the person has not appeared before the ED except once.
HC junks West Bengal mantri plea to scrap coal case summons
NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court has declined to quash the ED summons to Bengal law minister Moloy Ghatak in connection with the coal pilferage case in the state. Ghatak had failed to appear before ED on 11 out of 12 occasions.
“In such circumstances, when he himself has not appeared before directorate of enforcement except once, such relief cannot even be considered by this court, at this stage,” Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said.
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However, addressing the 67-year-old TMC leader’s plea, the court directed ED to provide 24 hours’ notice before requiring his attendance in its Kolkata office due to his age and medical condition.
The court ordered that notices should be issued to the Kolkata police commissioner and the Bengal chief secretary to ensure adequate protection during Ghatak’s examination in Kolkata.
The ED summons pertains to a case registered in November 2020 against several people for criminal conspiracy and breach of trust by public servants for alleged illegal excavation and theft of coal from the leasehold area of Eastern Coalfield Ltd.
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