The Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is probing the coal and cattle smuggling cases in West Bengal, has requested the UAE government through the external affairs ministry to closely monitor the movements of Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and his wife Rujira Narula during their ongoing trip to Dubai.

Accompanied by his wife, Abhishek Banerjee is currently in Dubai to undergo ophthalmological treatment.

While the ED was unwilling to allow his Dubai trip, later a Single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court permitted him and his wife to travel to Dubai.

However, before leaving for Dubai, the couple had to submit their travel details to the ED officials as per the court order.

A source in the know claimed that the agency, which had serious reservations on Abhishek’s latest visit to Dubai in the name of having treatment for his eyes, apprehends the MP could meet the coal pilferage and illegal mining linchpin Binoy Mishra, who the source claimed, is also in Dubai at present and is close to the Trinamul MP. Today, in a note sent through the ministry to the UAE government requested it to maintain a watch on the Diamond Harbour MP, who is being probed by it in the coal pilferage and illegal mining scams.

It is learnt that through the external affairs ministry, the ED sleuths have forwarded the travel details of the couple to the UAE government for the convenience of the latter to monitor their movements. The ED has briefed the UAE government about their interrogation in connection with the coal smuggling scam.

Meanwhile, Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar has raised questions over Abhishek Banerjee’s Dubai trip for ophthalmological treatment.

According to Majumdar, when a number of hospitals in India provide the best ophthalmological treatment facilities, there was no justification of making a trip to Dubai for the same.

Countering Majumdar’s claim, TMC Rajya Sabha member Shantanu Sen said that since the former is not a qualified doctor, he does not have the expertise or knowledge to comment on the issue.

In fact, during the hearing in the Calcutta High Court, the ED counsels also questioned the justification of travelling to Dubai for ophthalmological treatment.

However, the court ruled that the place of treatment is anyone’s personal choice. The court gave relief to Abhishek Banerjee from 2-10 June from appearing before the ED for questioning.