Kolkata: One ‘Abhishek' was referred to as many as 69 times in the transcript of a recorded audio clip submitted by CBI as part of its third supplementary charge sheet implicating Sujay Krishna Bhadra in the recruitment scam. On Thursday, this prompted TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's lawyer Sanjay Basu to allege that CBI was trying to insinuate against Banerjee without any evidence.
CBI claimed in its charge sheet that the seized audio clip contained the voices of seven people, including a parrot. The agency also said that the conversation had taken place at Bhadra's Behala home in 2016, involving Bhadra, his wife, two main accused in the recruitment case — Shantanu Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh — Kuntal's office employee Arvind Ray Barman, and a broker Surjit Chandra. CBI said that during interrogation, Arvind said he recorded the entire conversation on Kuntal's instructions and later saved it on a laptop.
Basu argued: "The basic trite of law states that four people sitting together and accusing a fifth person does not make the fifth person an accused. Otherwise, anyone could falsely implicate an individual. In this case, CBI has subtly floated the name of Abhishek Banerjee. Although it does not specify which Abhishek Banerjee it refers to."
"While the charge sheet mentions the positions or accusations against others, nothing is mentioned before or after Abhishek's name. It could be an Abhishek Banerjee from Malda. Secondly, even if we assume it refers to the Trinamool MP from Diamond Harbour, there is no voice of his in that audio clip. If four bank robbers sit together and claim that their money was shared with the president of the United States, does that make the president an accused," Basu asked.
He said: "Every time Abhishek was summoned by ED and CBI, he went and answered all questions. He has stated that he will continue to cooperate. Then why is his name cleverly being included in the transcript of an audio clip in the charge sheet? Is there any evidence? If so, let them present it. We will fight legally."
"ED had clearly stated in court that no admissible evidence was found against my client. So why this sudden activity by CBI? With elections approaching, is this a planned move by someone to create pressure out of fear," Basu asked.