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.
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.