Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata
Kolkata, Jun 11: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim protection from coercive action to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged signature forgery case, while directing him to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for questioning later in the day.
Justice Kausik Chanda ordered Banerjee, who has been in New Delhi since the weekend, to appear at the CID headquarters in Kolkata by 6 pm and cooperate with the investigation.
The court made it clear that Banerjee would be allowed to leave after questioning and would remain protected from coercive action for the next three weeks. The matter will be heard again in two weeks, by which time the CID has been directed to submit a report on the progress of the investigation.
The case pertains to allegations that signatures of several MLAs were forged on documents linked to the selection of the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
According to the complaint, signatures of some legislators appeared on a resolution despite their alleged absence from the meeting and claims that they had not signed any such document.
During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar, appearing for the state, opposed granting protection to Banerjee, arguing that notices had been served on him multiple times and that there were discrepancies regarding the dates of the meeting and signing of the resolution.
The state contended that the resolution indicated signatures were obtained on May 6, while Banerjee's communication to the Assembly Speaker was sent on May 9. However, when the Speaker later sought supporting records, Banerjee reportedly referred to a meeting held on May 19.
The state further claimed that some MLAs had stated no meeting took place on May 6 and that they had not signed any resolution. It also argued that Banerjee did not possess the original copy of the disputed document and that investigators were examining whether his role extended beyond that of a witness.
Representing Banerjee, senior counsel Ayan Bhattacharya argued that the purpose of the CID notice was interrogation and not arrest. He maintained that procedural irregularities or discrepancies in dates did not automatically amount to forgery.
Justice Chanda observed that the investigation should continue while ensuring Banerjee's cooperation, noting that the disputed resolution had already been submitted and therefore required scrutiny.
The High Court order came days after the CID intensified its probe. On Tuesday, CID officials visited the Trinamool Congress office on Camac Street and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence, which houses one of the party's registered offices, to serve notices related to the investigation.
Investigators are examining the authenticity of signatures appearing on the disputed resolution and related records attached to a letter submitted to the Assembly Speaker and signed by Abhishek Banerjee.
Banerjee's counsel informed the court that he was expected to arrive in Kolkata on Thursday afternoon and would comply with the direction to appear before investigators.