KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee permission to file a petition seeking protection from any coercive action by the state CID in connection with its investigation into alleged forgery of signatures of TMC MLAs.
The CID is probing the matter based on a complaint by two legislators to the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat, alleging that their signatures were forged on a TMC resolution appointing Ballygunge MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition.
Following the complaint, the Assembly Secretariat lodged an FIR with Kolkata Police, after which the case was transferred to the CID by the state home department.
The two MLAs — Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha — were later expelled from the TMC for alleged “anti-party activities”.
On a verbal request by Banerjee’s lawyers, a vacation bench of Justice Apurba Sinha Ray allowed the filing of a petition challenging the FIR and seeking interim protection from coercive action. His legal team indicated that the matter is likely to be heard on Friday.
Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary, had earlier been summoned by the CID in the case but did not appear, citing ill health, and sought additional time. The agency has issued a fresh notice directing him to appear before the investigating officer on June 8.
(With inputs from PTI)