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.
Fall of Congress in Gujarat: Three decades of decline and struggle for relevance
The Congress party was once the dominant political force in Gujarat, shaping the state’s governance since independence. However, over the past 30 years, the party has witnessed a dramatic downfall, losing ground to the BJP’s aggressive electoral strategies, organisational strength, and ideological appeal.
‘Disempowering Muslims’: J&K political parties oppose Waqf (Amendment) Bill
All political parties of J&K, except the BJP, opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, saying that the Bill is intended to disempower Muslims and only target one religion.
Radical group founder wanted in Jaipur serial blast plot apprehended in Ratlam
The Madhya Pradesh Police in Ratlam achieved a significant breakthrough in apprehending Firoz, also known as Sabji, a fugitive implicated in a conspiracy to execute serial blasts aimed at creating panic and terrorising the Rajasthan capital city of Jaipur.
Amit Shah & Akhilesh Yadav’s lighter exchange in LS over party president
Amid the uproar and heated debate between the ruling party and the Opposition over the Waqf Amendment Bill on Wednesday, the Lok Sabha witnessed some lighter moments between Home Minister Amit Shah and SP President Akhilesh Yadav.
Waqf Bill weakens Constitution, defames minorities, divides society: Gaurav Gogoi
As Parliament debated the contentious Waqf Amendment Bill, 2025, on Wednesday, deputy leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi came down heavily on the government.
Bill not linked to religion, it’s prospective and not retrospective: Kiren Rijiju flays naysayers
Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday tore into the Opposition for ‘spreading falsehood’ over the Waqf Amendment Bill and urged the ‘doubters and naysayers’ to refrain from misleading the people on the proposed reforms.
Parliament was being claimed as Waqf property: Rijiju slams UPA for making provisions 'overriding' other laws
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday bashed the previous UPA government for de-notifying 123 properties and handing them over to the Delhi Waqf Board.
Bhopal’s Muslims burst firecrackers in support of Waqf (Amendment) Bill
A large number of Muslims in Madhya Pradesh's capital, Bhopal, burst firecrackers on Wednesday to express their support for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which was presented in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day.