Kuntal Ghosh dragged Abhishek Banerjee's name in recruitment case, not me: Justice Gangopadhyay

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court, from whose bench two cases against Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal were transferred following a Supreme Court order, claimed on Monday that it was not him but expelled youth Trinamool leader Kuntal Ghosh who dragged the name of Abhishek Banerjee in the matter.

"I have nothing against any party, including the Trinamool Congress. When I hear and review any case, I try to judge whether any sort of corruption is involved," Gangopadhyay told mediapersons outside the court premises on Monday.

He pointed out that the name of Abhishek Banerjee surfaced in the alleged recruitment scam only after Kuntal Ghosh, who has been arrested in connection with the alleged recruitment scam, referred to pressure being put on him by the central agencies to name the Trinamool leader in the alleged scam.

"As far as I remember, and according to documents submitted in the court, Kuntal Ghosh named Abhishek Banerjee in the matter. I didn't drag it from the skies," Gangopadhyay said.

To recall, Kuntal Ghosh had alleged that the central agencies were putting pressure on him to name Abhishek Banerjee in the matter.

Subsequently, Ghosh forwarded two letters, first to a special CBI judge, and then to a local police station levelling the same allegation.

The counsel for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) referred the matter to a bench of Justice Gangopadhyay, alleging that such charges by Ghosh were meant to slow down the pace of investigation in the alleged recruitment scam.

After that, Gangopadhyay directed that if CBI feels, it can question Abhishek Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh in this connection.

Abhishek Banerjee then approached the Supreme Court challenging Gangopadhyay's decision, following which the apex court transferred two related cases from the latter's bench.