CID Reaches Mamata Banerjee's Home, Abhishek's Office in MLA Signature Forgery Probe

The political crisis engulfing West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress intensified on Tuesday as the Crime Investigation Department (CID) launched coordinated searches at locations linked to party chief Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee. The action is part of an ongoing probe into allegations that signatures of party legislators were forged on a document submitted to the Assembly Speaker regarding the appointment of the Leader of Opposition.

CID Teams Fan Out Across Key Locations

According to sources, officials from the state investigating agency arrived around noon at the Trinamool Congress's central office located at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata. The team was accompanied by personnel from the Kalighat police station as well as a sizeable contingent of women police officers.

The searches were carried out simultaneously by three separate CID teams. One team reached the residence of Mamata Banerjee, who is currently in Delhi. Another team conducted a search at the office of Trinamool national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, while a third team visited his residence.

Abhishek Banerjee's Reply Becomes Key to Investigation

The latest move comes shortly after the CID issued notices seeking details related to the alleged forgery of signatures belonging to Trinamool legislators.

Investigators said the decision to conduct searches was linked to a response submitted by Abhishek Banerjee during the course of the probe.

"In his response, Abhishek Banerjee stated that signatures of MLAs were collected at the party's central office at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street. Based on that statement, we have come here as part of the investigation," a CID officer said.

Officials indicated that the information provided in the reply prompted them to inspect locations believed to be relevant to the collection and handling of the disputed signatures.

How the Signature Dispute Emerged

The controversy stems from a complaint submitted to Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose by two Trinamool MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, on May 27.

The legislators claimed that "no resolution was adopted about the selection of LoP" during a party meeting held on May 6, contrary to what was stated in the communication sent to the Speaker. They further asserted that they signed the meeting resolution book only on May 19 and not on the date mentioned in the party's records.

Their complaint questioned the authenticity of the document used to support the appointment of the Leader of Opposition and triggered scrutiny of the signatures attached to it.

Allegations of Fabricated Resolution Trigger FIR

In their representation, the two MLAs alleged that the purported May 6 resolution had been "manufactured and fabricated". They also claimed that 14 of the 70 signatures appearing on the document were written in block letters, raising doubts about their authenticity.

The allegations eventually led to the registration of an FIR and the transfer of the investigation to the CID.

Soon after the matter became public, the Trinamool Congress expelled both legislators for alleged "anti-party activities". The action came minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari publicly disclosed their names, further deepening the political turmoil surrounding the case.

With searches now underway at multiple locations linked to the party's top leadership, the CID investigation has entered a crucial phase that could have significant political ramifications in West Bengal.