Moloy Ghatak, the state law minister, didn’t get any relief at Delhi High Court on Friday when the HC refused to quash the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the investigating agency’s probe into the alleged coal scam in Bengal.
The HC has directed the central agency to interrogate the cabinet minister in its Kolkata office instead of Delhi. While dealing with 67- year-old law minister’s plea to direct the ED not to summon him to Delhi, the court noted that the agency probing the scam was earlier asked to consider calling him at its Kolkata office, keeping in mind his age and health condition.
Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, in an order, directed that the ED would be at the liberty to require the attendance of the petitioner at its Kolkata office by giving at least 24 hours’ notice.
The HC said notices shall also be issued to the Kolkata Police commissioner and the state chief secretary so that “adequate police protection is afforded to the persons seeking to examine or interrogate the petitioner, and to avoid any difficulty or obstruction or interference with the concerned officers.” The high court said there was no ground to quash the summons issued to Mr Ghatak.
The court was hearing Mr Ghatak’s plea seeking to quash the ECIR and summons issued to him, and also directing the agency not to summon him to Delhi. The minister has so far faced the ED interrogation only once, out of 12 summons to him by the agency during the past oneand-a-half years.