Mamata Banerjee visits Abhishek Banerjee’s house ahead of CBI questioning his wife Rujira

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited the house of her nephew, Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, ahead of the questioning of his wife Rujira Banerjee by investigators of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). She was in the Harish Mukherjee Road house for about 10 minutes — where she reached at around 11.15 AM — after which she left in her vehicle, but was accompanied by Abhishek’s daughter, who came down to see her off.

At one point of time, it was unclear whether Banerjee would be present during the CBI officers’ visit, as the CBI team had left their Kolkata office by then to reach Harish Mukherjee Road. However, the CM left her nephew’s residence before the CBI team reached there. It appeared that she was there to show her solidarity and give them assurance and strength.

Rujira Banerjee, wife of Abhishek Banerjee, on Monday responded to the notice sent to her by the CBI, that had asked her to be questioned. She said in her letter that though she is “unaware of the reason for me being called for questioning or the subject matter of investigation”, the officer concerned may visit her residence between 11 AM and 3 PM on February 23.

CBI officers had, on February 21 afternoon — at around 2 PM — served a notice in the house for Rujira Banerjee to be questioned in connection with the illegal coal trading case in West Bengal that has been under investigation for some time.  On Monday, Abhishek Banerjee’s sister-in-law, Maneka Gambhir, was questioned by CBI officers in Kolkata at her residence.

Ahead of the Assembly polls, the CBI sending notices and questioning those close to Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee has created quite a stir in the political circles of West Bengal.