The Calcutta High Court is set to address a petition filed by Abhishek Banerjee, the General Secretary of Trinamool Congress, challenging the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) summons regarding the legislators’ signature mismatch case. Last week, Banerjee, who is also the nephew of the party’s chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, sought protection from coercive police action, including arrest, through a single-judge vacation bench.
The vacation bench, presided over by Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das, rejected Banerjee’s plea for a fast-track hearing and scheduled the first hearing for June 10. Meanwhile, raids and search operations were conducted at a Trinamool party office near Mamata Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat and another office in Camac Street where Abhishek Banerjee previously worked.
Abhishek Banerjee has received three notices from the CID for interrogation in connection with the signature mismatches of some Trinamool legislators in a crucial resolution. Despite the summonses, including one for questioning at the CID headquarters, Banerjee did not comply. The raids aimed to locate the original resolution copy, but the CID has not disclosed any findings yet.
Both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee were absent during the raids as they were in Delhi for the opposition Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Bloc meeting on June 8. Additionally, Mamata Banerjee held a private meeting with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on June 9.
