Abhishek Banerjee may move court for nod to go abroad for treatment, ED to SC

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate on Monday told the Supreme Court that TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee may seek approval from a local court for going abroad for a medical procedure.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Uday Umesh Lalit and Justice S Ravindra Bhat took note of the joint submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Kapil Sibal and adjourned the hearing on the plea of Banerjee.

The law officer said that Banerjee may seek approval from the local court.

Sibal said that he would welcome the statement if the plea of Banerjee is not opposed by the ED on the issue.

Earlier, the top court had agreed to hear on Monday the plea by Banerjee seeking approval to go to Dubai for a medical procedure.

It had on May 17 granted relief to the TMC leader and his wife Rujira Banerjee by asking the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to examine them in its Kolkata office, instead of summoning them to Delhi, after giving 24-hour advance notice.

The bench had also stayed the Delhi High Court order which had dismissed the pleas filed by the TMC MP and his wife seeking quashing of summonses issued to them in a money-laundering probe.

The court had while allowing the couple to be questioned in Kolkata, observed it will not tolerate any kind of interference or hooliganism and said the state shall provide adequate police protection to ED officials there.

The ED had told the top court, according to them, the TMC MP is a potential accused .

On May 17 last year, a high voltage political drama was witnessed in Kolkata as TMC supporters held demonstrations at various places, while Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee offered to court arrest protesting the detention of two West Bengal ministers in the Narada case by CBI.

TMC supporters had raised slogans against the BJP-led NDA government and hurled stones and bricks at security personnel outside Nizam Palace, which houses the CBI office, protesting the arrests.

The 34-year-old MP, a nephew of Mamata Banerjee, represents the Diamond Harbour seat in the Lok Sabha and is the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).