A CID team on Tuesday entered the Trinamool Congress’s central party office-cum-residence of party supremo Mamata Banerjee in the Kalighat area after an hour-long standoff with security personnel and party leaders, as part of its probe into allegations of forged signatures of TMC MLAs.
Another CID team visited Abhishek Banerjee’s office on Camac Street as part of the investigation.
Officials of the state investigating agency, accompanied by officers of the Kalighat police station and a large contingent of women police personnel, reached the party office at 30B, Harish Chatterjee Street around midday and were initially prevented from entering the premises.
Investigators faced resistance from a TMC leader at the site. Former TMC Rajya Sabha MP and party treasurer Subhasish Chakraborty engaged in a prolonged argument with CID officials over allowing entry.
According to sources, Chakraborty told the CID that Mamata Banerjee and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee were in Delhi for a meeting of the Opposition INDIA bloc and that he could not permit a search in their absence.
CID officials maintained that the search was part of an ongoing investigation and not contingent on the presence of any particular leader. They also showed him a notice issued to Abhishek Banerjee and sought cooperation for the search operation.
Chakraborty said he was not authorised to permit entry and requested additional time, stating, “I do not have the authority to allow your entry. Please give us two to three days.”
TMC leader Subhasish Chakraborty had earlier told reporters, “We have not allowed the CID to enter the premises in the absence of Abhishek Banerjee. Once he comes, the CID can come and search the house.”
The situation escalated later when the CID brought in a larger police contingent, including women personnel, and entered the premises despite what officials called “mild resistance” from security staff attached to the Kolkata Police.
Senior officers from Kalighat police station also intervened.
Officials said they instructed security personnel not to obstruct the search operation. The CID gained access to the residence-cum-office complex and began its search and verification exercise.
Investigators said they were acting based on responses submitted earlier by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to notices issued in connection with the alleged forging of signatures of MLAs on a proposal sent to the Assembly Speaker seeking recognition of the leader of Opposition.
Investigators may examine who attended the TMC legislature party meeting at the premises and who signed the document issued there. The CID may also secure CCTV footage from the premises as part of the probe, according to reports.
“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.
The CID has also summoned Abhishek Banerjee, who is currently in New Delhi along with Mamata Banerjee, to appear before it in the case by 5 pm on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi to meet senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence.
The CID had earlier visited Abhishek Banerjee’s Kalighat residence on May 30 and asked him to appear before investigators on June 1.
After he sought a 14-day extension, the agency rejected the request and issued a fresh notice directing him to appear within seven days. He did not appear within the stipulated deadline, which expired on Monday.
The signature controversy erupted after a proposal sent to the Assembly Speaker seeking recognition of senior TMC MLA Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as leader of Opposition allegedly contained forged signatures of several legislators, triggering an FIR and CID investigation.
The political turmoil deepened when 58 of the TMC’s 80 MLAs reportedly backed expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee for the post, instead of the party’s official nominee, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay.
Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari later revealed that Uluberia Purba MLA Ritabrata and TMC’s Entally MLA Sandipan Saha filed a complaint, which led to the investigation.
The rebel camp later took control of the legislature party, elected Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition, and secured recognition from the Assembly Speaker—resulting in the first split in the TMC since its formation in 1998.