TMC moves Calcutta HC to search party’s CID office adjacent to Mamata’s residence

A CID team at the residence of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata on June 9. Photo credit: ANI

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday (June 10, 2026) moved the Calcutta High Court, challenging the legality of the search operation conducted on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) at the party’s office adjacent to former chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kolkata’s Kalighat area. The search was conducted in connection with allegedly forged signatures of Trinamool MLAs.

Senior advocate Kishore Datta mentioned the matter before Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya.

The petition was filed by senior MP Kalyan Banerjee on behalf of the party, in which Mr. Kalyan Banerjee alleged that raids and search operations were conducted in the absence of key witnesses in the case and that important party documents were scanned in two party offices (the other being Mrs. Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and party general secretary Abhishek at Camtaeac’us Street). raids and search operations were carried out.

The matter is scheduled to be heard on Thursday (June 11, 2026). The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) searched former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kolkata in connection with the alleged forging of agreement signatures of two Trinamool Congress MLAs.

Both Ms Banerjee and her nephew and party general secretary Mr Abhishek Banerjee were not present in the premises at the time of the search, hence former Trinamool MP Subhasish Chakraborty said he could not let the CID officials inside.

However, CID officials said they had come to search the TMC party office on the premises and not Ms Banerjee’s residence and accused Mr Chakraborty of “obstructing the investigation”.

The CID is probing the letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly, which was submitted to the Speaker on May 20. Trinamool MLA Ritabarta Banerjee and Sandipan Saha alleged that their signatures on the letter were forged. They were then expelled from the TMC.

A First Information Report was registered on their complaint at the Hare Street Kolkata Police Station and the case was later handed over to the CID. The state agency then sent several summonses to Mr. Abhishek Banerjee, who signed the letter. However, citing health problems, he did not appear in person and asked for 15 days to respond.

Published – 10 Jun 2026 21:54 IST