TMC leader asked to appear before investigators as probe into opposition leader endorsement controversy widens
The West Bengal CID has served a summons to senior Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee in connection with an investigation into alleged forged signatures on a letter endorsing Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly.
According to officials, Banerjee has been directed to appear before investigators at the CID headquarters in Kolkata on Monday for questioning regarding the case.
The controversy centres around a letter submitted to the Assembly Secretariat on May 19, allegedly carrying the signatures of around 70 newly elected Trinamool Congress MLAs supporting Chattopadhyay’s appointment as Leader of Opposition. Investigators are examining claims that some of the signatures on the document may not be genuine.
CID serves notice after dramatic visit
The summons was delivered personally to Banerjee at his residence in Kolkata after CID officers spent considerable time attempting to locate him.
Officials initially visited one of Banerjee’s residences but were informed he was not present. The team later moved to another property in the Kalighat area, where the Trinamool leader eventually accepted the notice.
Banerjee later confirmed receiving the summons and stated that he would review its contents with his legal team before deciding on his course of action.
“I will cooperate with the investigation in whatever manner required,” he told reporters.
Banerjee alleges political vendetta
The Trinamool leader accused political opponents of using investigative agencies to target him following the recent change in power in West Bengal.
Banerjee claimed he was being singled out because of his opposition to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and insisted that he would continue his political activities despite the investigation.
He also pointed to previous questioning by central agencies, saying he was not intimidated by probes and would not retreat from public life.
Assembly complaint triggered investigation
The case originated after the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat reportedly flagged discrepancies in signatures appearing on documents submitted by the Trinamool Congress regarding the Leader of Opposition post.
According to police sources, an earlier letter submitted by the party was rejected due to procedural issues. A second letter was subsequently filed, but questions were raised after some signatures allegedly did not match records available with the Assembly.
One complaint reportedly involved the signature of TMC MLA Nayna Banerjee, which investigators are examining as part of the wider probe.
Several TMC leaders already questioned
CID officials have already questioned multiple Trinamool legislators as part of the investigation, including Nayna Banerjee, Chandranath Sinha, Kunal Ghosh and Baharul Islam.
Investigators are now attempting to establish whether any signatures were forged, who may have been responsible and whether procedural violations occurred during the submission process.
The controversy has delayed the formal allocation of the Leader of Opposition’s office and sparked protests from Trinamool legislators inside the Assembly.
With Banerjee now summoned for questioning, the politically sensitive case is expected to intensify in the coming days.
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