The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s petition seeking protection from any coercive action by the state CID in connection with its probe into the alleged forgery of signatures of two party MLAs.

The matter was mentioned before the court of Justice Kausik Chanda by Banerjee’s counsel, Kalyan Banerjee, who sought an urgent hearing, stating that the CID had conducted a raid at the Diamond Harbour MP’s office on Tuesday in his absence.

Taking note of the submission, Justice Chanda said the petition would be heard on Thursday.

In his plea, Abhishek Banerjee has sought protection from any coercive action by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and also requested the quashing of the FIR registered against him in the signature forgery case.

The case stems from a complaint filed by two legislators with the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat alleging that their signatures were forged in a Trinamool Congress resolution appointing Ballygunge MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of the opposition.

Following the complaint by MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, the Assembly Secretariat lodged an FIR with the Kolkata Police. The investigation was subsequently transferred to the CID by the state’s home secretary.

Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha were later expelled from the Trinamool Congress for alleged anti-party activities.