CID arrives at Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residential office in ‘forged signature’ probe, Abhishek Banerjee summoned | Today’s news

A Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team reached the TMC party central office via party supremo Mamata Banerjee’s Kolkata residence at Kalighat as part of an investigation into the party’s allegations of using the MLA’s “forged signature”.

Sources told PTI that officials of the state investigation agency reached the party headquarters at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street late in the afternoon. They were accompanied by personnel from the Kalighat police station and a large contingent of policewomen.

The team entered the area after a clash with security personnel and a party leader. The investigation team was initially prevented from entering the compound, leading to a brief blockade by security personnel stationed in the complex, PTI reported.

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The ‘forged signature’ probe pertains to allegations that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) used forged signatures of its MLAs on a motion submitted to the Speaker of the Assembly to recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

Abhishek Banerjee was summoned by the CID to provide information regarding the allegations of forged signatures as he said the signatures were collected at the TMC headquarters.

The CID entered Mamata Banerjee’s residence after a brief altercation with security personnel and called in additional police backup to continue the search.

The allegations led to a significant internal crisis in the TMC, with several MLAs, including expelled leaders, rejecting the party leadership’s choice for the Leader of the Opposition, claiming that he represented the legitimate opposition.

Yes, TMC members should be worried as internal dissent could further destabilize the party, especially with reports of several MLAs supporting a breakaway faction linked to the BJP-led NDA.

Read also | Mamata meets Sonia: Survey setbacks, hugs and old fault lines in Cong-TMC nexus

Abhishek Banerjee called

The CID’s move came days after the agency served a notice seeking information related to the alleged forgery of signatures of TMC legislators on a motion submitted to the Assembly Speaker to recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

CID officials present at the spot told PTI that the search was requested based on a reply sent by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to an earlier notice issued by the agency.

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“Abhishek Banerjee in his reply stated that the signatures of the MLAs were collected at the party headquarters at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street. Based on this statement, we have come here as part of the investigation,” said a CID officer.

Abhishek Banerjee, who is currently in New Delhi along with Mamata Banerjee, has been summoned by the CID to appear in the case by 5 pm on Tuesday, the report added.

In a related development, another CID team visited Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office as part of the ongoing investigation.

Distance

TMC leader and former MP Subhasish Chakraborty had earlier said that the party would not allow the search in Abhishek Banerjee’s absence.

“We have not allowed the CID to enter the premises in the absence of Abhishek Banerjee. Once he comes, the CID can come and search the house,” Chakraborty told reporters.

However, the situation changed later in the afternoon when the CID called in a larger police contingent and entered the compound despite what officials described as “moderate resistance” from security personnel stationed there.

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Senior officers from the Kalighat police station rushed to the spot and were seen arguing with security personnel attached to the Kolkata Police.

Police officers reportedly instructed them not to obstruct the search operation being conducted by the investigating agency.

Sources said the CID team subsequently entered the residence and office complex and started searching and verification.

What happened?

The case pertains to allegations that Mamata Banerjee’s faction used forged signatures of TMC MLAs on a motion submitted to the Speaker of the Assembly to recognize the Leader of the Opposition.

On May 6, the TMC recommended the name of MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post of Leader of Opposition and Chief Whip of the party in the West Bengal state assembly.

Soon after, allegations were made that several signatures of TMC legislators on the submitted documents were either forged or placed without their proper consent, after which Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose refused to accept the recommendation.

Read also | Mamata’s TMC heartbreak reaches Parliament, rebel camp claims support of 20 MPs

Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, now suspended TMC leaders, informed the chairman on 27 May that no resolution regarding the selection of the LoP was taken in the party meeting on 6 May, contrary to the claim made in the party’s official communication.

The two MLAs alleged that the so-called May 6 resolution was “manufactured and fabricated” and said that as many as 14 of the 70 signatures were “printed”.

Both Banerjee and Saha were expelled from the TMC on June 1 on the grounds of indulging in “anti-party activities”, minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari named them as complainants in the signature forgery case.

This resulted in the biggest internal crisis in the TMC’s 28-year history.

As many as 58 out of 80 MLAs turned against Mamata Banerjee and approached the state assembly to stake a claim as the main opposition party.

Read also | Rebellion rocks TMC in Parliament: Rajya Sabha MP Sukhendu Sekhar Ray resigns

Later, the Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly officially recognized Ritabrat Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly. Claiming legitimacy based on numbers, Banerjee argued that the dissident faction now represented the real opposition in the House.

After the rebellion in the TMC Legislature, the rebellion reached Parliament, where the Mamata loyalist resigned from his membership in the Rajya Sabha and as many as 20 TMC MPs in the Lok Sabha expressed their desire to support the BJP-led NDA.