Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee's sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to appear before it at 12:30 am on September 12 in connection with the coal smuggling case.

The case is being investigated by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Anup Majee is alleged to be the kingpin of a coal mining pilferage-linked money laundering case related to Eastern Coalfield Limited's mines in Kunustoria and Kajora in and around Asansol in West Bengal.

Maneka, along with her lawyer, reached the ED office at the CGO complex in the Salt Lake area only to find it locked. Sources said that she waited for 20 minutes and left the building.

Maneka said, "I was given the summon at the airport, and the timing was 12:30 am. I came according to the summon."

West Bengal | TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's sister-in-law Maneka Gambhir was summoned to ED office in Kolkata at 12.30 am last night in connection with coal smuggling case. However, upon reaching the office at the time mentioned in the summon, the office was closed. https://t.co/0kfWY2uvcg pic.twitter.com/KdxYvFaU6P

— ANI (@ANI) September 12, 2022

She has been issued a fresh summons to appear before the agency here around 2 PM, the officials said. The sources said the midnight time printed on the earlier summons was a "typographical error" and erroneous, and it should have been "12:30 PM" on September 12. Gambhir has not been questioned by the ED in this case till now. The CBI had earlier questioned her in the said case.

Two days ago, when Maneka was travelling to Bangkok, she was stopped in the immigration office and was informed that she could not travel abroad. Sources said ED officers told her that there was a lookout circular against her.

Maneka was previously summoned to Delhi, but the court gave her the opportunity to be interrogated in Kolkata. Also, she claimed that no coercive action could be taken against her as per the order.

People close to Gambhir said she informed the local ED office that she was going abroad.

Gambhir camp is planning to take legal consultation on this. Sources said Banerjee's camp believed this was vindictive politics, but they will follow the law of the land.