Coal smuggling case: Who is Rujira Banerjee and why has ED issued warrant against her?

New Delhi, May 7: A Delhi court on Saturday issued a bailable warrant against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's wife Rujira Banerjee in connection with a complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate for allegedly refusing to join the probe in a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Snigdha Sarvaria passed the order on the ED's plea after the agency's special public prosecutor Nitesh Rana told the court that the accused was not appearing before either the court or the probe agency despite several summons issued against her.

The court posted the matter for August 20.

The ED lodged a case under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act on the basis of a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to the Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol.

Local coal operative Anup Majhi, alias Lala, is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case.

The ED had earlier claimed that Abhishek Banerjee was a beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. He has denied all charges.

Who is Rujira Banerjee?

Rujira Banerjee nee Naroola is a Thai national and holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card. She met Abhishek during college at the now-closed Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) in Delhi. Abhishek is the nephew of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.They were married in a lavish ceremony in the Capital. At the time of their wedding, many news outlets reported her name was Jasmeet Ahuja. Very little is known about Banerjee since she keeps a low profile.