The Calcutta High Court has instructed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to reassign Assistant Director Mithilesh Kumar Mishra from the ongoing investigation into the Primary Teacher Recruitment Scam in West Bengal. This decision comes after Justice Amrita Sinha expressed dissatisfaction with the ED’s incomplete report on the assets of various individuals implicated in the scam, including MP Abhishek Banerjee.
Justice Sinha’s interaction with Mishra in open court regarding the investigation was deemed “unsatisfactory.” DSG Dhiraj Trivedi, representing the ED, conveyed that officers were apprehensive about revealing their names or the contents of their report during live court proceedings. This was due to concerns that the investigation might be influenced.
Justice Sinha, after reviewing the submissions, stated,
“The ED has filed another report. The Court is yet to peruse the entire report. Page five of the report reflects that Mithilesh Kr Mishra, signatory to the report, is investigating the primary teacher recruitment scam. On the last occasion, the Court interacted with Shri Mishra, who was unable to provide satisfactory answers to the Court’s question. The Court is convinced that the said officer will not be competent enough to handle the present case which is of a huge magnitude. Director, Enforcement Directorate is directed to immediately assign the work entrusted to Shri Mishra to some other competent officer, immediately. Shri Mishra shall be relieved from the investigation of the present case. Shri Mishra may be engaged in some other case, but will not be entrusted to investigate any case arising in the State of West Bengal.”
Furthermore, the court directed the ED to ensure that the summons issued to MP Abhishek Banerjee is duly complied with, emphasizing that
“the investigation was not hampered in any way.”
