Bengal coal scam: Delhi Court issues non-bailable warrant against accused Vinay Mishra

A Delhi Court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against accused Vinay Mishra in connection with an alleged coal scam in West Bengal being investigated by Enforcement Directorate (ED).

According to ED, the case involves several accused including Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, his wife Rujira Banerjee and others.

Patiala House Court's Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dr Pankaj Sharma in the order passed on October 11, 2021, said that "Accused Vinay Mishra is intentionally not appearing before the Court, accordingly, NBWs be issued against him."

"Accused himself did not choose to appear before the Court rather he is trying to preempt the proceedings through the intervention of his wife by filing application challenging the legality of the proceedings. Neha Mishra has no locus standi in the present proceedings. She can address her grievances by resorting to the appropriate application before the appropriate forum. These proceedings are certainly not the appropriate forum for her grievances raised by her in her application," the Court further added in the order.

Neha Mishra, wife of Vinay Mishra through an application submitted that accused has surrendered his nationality and has been admitted to the nationality of Dubai and the said fact was in the knowledge of the department and despite this, the summons was served upon the family members at Kolkata address. It was submitted that the department has failed to adopt proper procedure and further process against the accused may be dropped.

ED in its complaint submitted that as a part of the investigation some incriminating material available against the accused/Vinay Mishra in respect of laundering of Crime Proceeds and exercising the power under section 50(2), the authorized officer summoned the accused on four occasions however despite service he failed to appear.

Recently Delhi High Court has exempted Rujira Mukherjee from personal appearance before the court. TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee's wife Rujira Banerjee recently had challenged a Delhi Court order directing her to appear before it, in connection with the alleged coal case.

The couple had earlier approached the Delhi High Court seeking quashing of summons issued to them by the ED for questioning in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, saying they are residents of Kolkata and should not be compelled to join the probe in the national capital.

The ED has lodged a case under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.

( With inputs from ANI )