Kolkata: TMC National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee has obtained temporary relief in a case involving alleged signature forgery. The court declared that the investigating agency will not undertake any coercive action for three weeks. If additional questioning is needed, the agency must give a 24-hour notice.
The Calcutta High Court has also directed Abhishek Banerjee to visit the CID office today, with the appearance scheduled for 6 PM.
Justice Kaushik Chanda of the Calcutta High Court mandated that Abhishek Banerjee show up to address the CID’s summons.
Banerjee had lodged a plea in the Calcutta High Court seeking protection in the signature scandal. As part of the investigation, he was requested to provide the party’s original resolution copy sent to the Assembly Speaker concerning the appointment of office bearers.
The controversy erupted on May 20 when Banerjee handed over a copy of the meeting resolution book. It featured an attendance sheet indicating 70 MLAs attended the May 6 meeting. On May 27, two AITC MLAs submitted complaints to the Speaker, asserting that no resolution regarding LoP selection was passed on May 6.
They said they only signed the resolution book on May 19. The MLAs also alleged the May 6 resolution was “fabricated”, and 14 signatures were in block letters.
TMC later suspended those two MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, for anti-party activities. Based on a complaint by the Assembly’s Principal Secretary, police registered a case on May 27 under BNS sections for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.
The CID, which took over the case on May 28, formed a five-member Special Investigation Team to probe allegations that TMC MLAs’ signatures were forged.
