The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim protection from coercive action to All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with a criminal case alleging forgery of signatures of the newly-elected party legislators on a resolution related to the appointment of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda directed Banerjee to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and appear before the investigating agency at its Kolkata office at 6 pm on Thursday for questioning after returning from Delhi.
The Court held that no coercive action, including arrest, should be taken against Banerjee for the next two weeks. The Bench, however, clarified that the investigating agency would be at liberty to carry out search and seizure operations in accordance with law for the purpose of collecting relevant documents and evidence.
The Court further observed that if the investigating agency required Banerjee’s presence for further interrogation, it must provide him with at least 24 hours’ prior notice. It also directed the AITC leader to extend full cooperation to the probe and remain available for questioning whenever required by the agency. The matter has been posted for further hearing after two weeks.
The case arises from allegations that a resolution seeking recognition of senior AITC leader Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly contained forged signatures of several newly-elected legislators.
The disputed resolution was allegedly prepared during a meeting held at the residence of AITC chief and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The controversy surfaced after two Trinamool MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, raised objections to the authenticity of the document. They alleged that the resolution had been fabricated and manipulated and questioned the genuineness of 14 out of the 70 signatures appearing on it.
Following the complaint, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered, and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) commenced a probe into the allegations. As part of the investigation, searches were reportedly conducted at Mamata Banerjee’s residence as well as at Abhishek Banerjee’s office.
Subsequently, the Trinamool Congress expelled Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha from the party, reportedly on grounds of anti-party activities. The disciplinary action came shortly after West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly disclosed their identities.
The alleged forgery controversy has emerged amid political turmoil within the Trinamool Congress following its defeat in the West Bengal Assembly elections held on May 4. The loss ended the party’s 15-year tenure in power and resulted in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) forming the government in the State.
The electoral setback has reportedly triggered internal dissent and factional divisions within the party, with several leaders publicly expressing differences over the party’s functioning. Reports have also suggested that a significant number of TMC parliamentarians are considering breaking away from the party and aligning with the BJP-led ruling coalition at the Centre.
Against this backdrop, the investigation into the alleged forgery of legislators’ signatures continues, with the CID examining the circumstances under which the disputed resolution was prepared and submitted.
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