Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee Wednesday approached the Calcutta High Court to challenge a summons notice issued to him by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The notice is tied to an ongoing probe into the signature forgery case.
Banerjee’s legal counsel, Prabhanya Banerjee, moved the vacation bench of Justice Apurba Sinha Roy to seek permission to file the petition formally. The court granted the request, and the matter is highly likely to be heard by the summer vacation bench on June 5. Through his petition, Banerjee is also seeking interim protection from any coercive steps by the central or state investigative agency.
The political controversy erupted after TMC MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha filed a formal complaint with the Assembly Speaker. The complainants alleged that the official resolution dated May 6 was completely fabricated, noting that the party had adopted no formal resolution on that day. They further pointed out that several signatures on the document were suspiciously written in block letters.
Following a preliminary inquiry by the Assembly’s principal secretary, an FIR was registered at the Hare Street police station, after which the case was handed over to the state CID.
The CID constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by a DIG-rank officer. During the probe, investigators recorded statements from 13 TMC MLAs, three of whom, Baharul Islam, Arup Roy, and Subhasis Das, officially disowned the signatures attributed to them. Shortly after Chief Minister leader Suvendu Adhikari highlighted these discrepancies in a press conference, the TMC expelled the two complainant MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, citing anti-party activities.
The legal face-off escalated over the past week after back-to-back notices were served to the TMC MP. On May 30, CID officials visited Banerjee’s residence on Kalighat Road to serve the initial notice, which he signed and accepted in person. The summons directed him to appear at the CID headquarters in Bhavani Bhavan on Monday, June 1, at noon.
On June 1, on the morning of his scheduled appearance, Banerjee dispatched a letter to the CID requesting a 15-day extension. He cited medical and personal constraints, noting he had recently been assaulted while visiting Sonarpur to meet the family of a deceased party worker.
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Rejecting the 15-day extension request, the CID issued a second notice giving Banerjee only a seven-day window. He has now been strictly directed to appear in person before the investigators on June 8.
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
