Abhishek Banerjee | Photo Credit: Facebook

Kolkata: After a showdown with the CBI, Kolkata Police is back in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. As per the media reports, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s wife had landed at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport with 2 kgs of gold in her bag without declaration.

Customs officials asked Rujira Naroola, who was holding a Thai passport, to open her luggage for checking but she refused and threatened the officials with dire consequences.

Naroola later made a phone call after which Kolkata police personnel arrived at the airport and told the customs officials to release the women immediately. Rejecting their demand the customs department told the cops that due process will be followed to which they allegedly threatened them dire consequences. The cops later escorted her out of the airport.

With the amount of corruption charges Mr. @abhishekaitc has against him RIGHT NOW, he shud leave Politics!Why wait for the investigation report of his ‘wife’s case’ to be over•I challenge him to furnish the source of income with which he made his palatial house Shantiniketan — Chowkidar Babul Supriyo (@SuPriyoBabul) March 24, 2019

The customs department of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport later filed an FIR regarding “interference, obstruction and criminal intimidation of Customs Officials by the West Bengal Police relating to the examination of the baggage of two lady passengers under Section 186 and Section 503 of IPC with Section 133 of the Customs Acts, 1962.”

Abhishek Banerjee has also been named in the FIR.

Later Abhishek addressed a press conference and challenged the customs officials to show the CCTV footage where she got special assistance being his wife. He further challenged the opposition saying that he will quit politics if the charges against his wife are proved.

Taking a leaf out of her aunt’s playbook, Abhishek termed the whole episode as a conspiracy and said that the CCTV at the airport is in the prerogative jurisdiction of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and are monitored and controlled by them.

After the incident became public, the BJP launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek.

Singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo said that Abhishek should resign. Taking to his Twitter handle Supriyo said for Abhishek, everyone is corrupt except he, his party and his aunty.

“He is being uncouth enough to once again accuse the Customs officials of “signing a letter drafted by Political Bosses”!!Every1 is corrupt, except he, his party and his PishiMoni!!! And what is he talking about? I challenge him to travel without his own HUGE entourage of security,” he tweeted.

Supriyo, who is a Member of Parliament from Asansol, levelled serious charges of corruption on Mamata’s nephew and said that he should leave politics immediately and not wait for investigation report of his wife’s case to be over. He further challenged Banerjee to furnish the source of income with which he made his palatial house Shantiniketan.

As per the media reports, Naroola had filed a complaint against the custom department officials alleging “misbehaviour, harassment, undue detention and extortion of money.”

In February, Kolkata Police entered into a confrontation with the CBI when officers from the investigative agency arrived at the residence of city police commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with Saradha chit fund scam. Later CM Banerjee reached the Kumar’s residence and started a protest against the Centre for misusing the institutions to settle political scores.

Kumar who is considered close to the CM had been evading the CBI despite repeated summons.

With elections approaching BJP has got a new issue to target the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government.