Abhishek's wife Rujira was allegedly caught with 2 kg unaccounted-for gold while she arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways Flight number TG 313 and was carrying a Thai passport.
Kolkata: The law seems to be catching up fast with TMC MP from Diamond Harbour and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as the Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the TMC govt regarding the alleged harassment
of customs officials by state police for checking the baggage Abhishek's wife Rujira Banerjee and her companion at the Kolkata airport on March 15.
The CJI-led bench asked, "What is happening in West Bengal."
On April 4, the Kolkata high court had asked Rujira to appear before the Customs authorities on April 8.
On March 29, SC had told solicitor general Tushar Mehta to move an application in the apex court in the matter of the alleged seizure of 2-kg unaccounted-for gold from Abhishek's wife Rujira Banerjee.
Also read: Mamata’s relative Rujira Naroola in trouble for ‘concealing’ nationality status
Rujira was allegedly caught with 2 kg unaccounted-for gold while she arrived from Bangkok on Thai Airways Flight number TG 313 and was carrying a Thai passport.
The customs department sources had later lodged a police complaint at the airport police station against Rujira, her companion Menka Gambhir, and state police officials who had “interfered, obstructed and threatened” customs officials for checking Rujira’s baggage.
According to the customs complaint, Rujira and Menka were selected “randomly” for checking “considering their movement, profile, the number and size of the luggage they were carrying”. The customs officials grew suspicious when the two declined to show their passports after “several requests”. They also declined to submit their luggage for X-Ray scanning.
On scanning, the officials apparently saw that three out of the total seven bags they were carrying had jewellery. The two “abused” and “threatened with dire consequences” the woman customs official who wanted them to open their bags and see the contents, the complaint said.
The police “were physically present during the Customs examination… and all of them were insisting repeatedly to release the said passenger and her companion. They were interfering in the discharge of duty by the Customs Officers and pressurising them”, the complaint said.
The department has also complained that another team of police arrived even after the two women had left the airport and “enquired about the names of the officers on duty who were involved in intercepting the lady passengers and examining their baggage”. While this team remained there till morning, a large police contingent “was observed around the International Arrival Hall and information was gathered that they had come to arrest the officers who had examined the baggage…”
Meanwhile, Abhishek had rubbished the charges against his wife. He challenged the allegations saying he would quit politics if the charges were proved to be true. Alleging political vendetta, he had said, "If that was so, why wasn't it confiscated? Was the ‘chowkidar’ sleeping?” He had also rubbished media reports, calling them "baseless”. He also claimed that his wife was “not carrying even two grams of gold”.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.