A team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday visited the south Kolkata residence of Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee but was informed that neither the MP nor any of his family members were present.

A five-member CID team reached Shantiniketan Building at 188A Harish Mukherjee Road around 1.25 pm. According to sources, the investigators were seeking to question Abhishek in connection with alleged discrepancies in signatures on a Trinamool Congress Legislative Party letter submitted to the Bengal Assembly.

Officials were told by an attendant at the residence that Abhishek had not been at the house for several days and that no family members were present. A man who spoke to the investigators reportedly said he was unaware of their whereabouts. The CID team noted down his name and address and remained outside the residence for some time. Sources indicated that a notice could be served at the address as part of the investigation.

Abhishek was scheduled to visit Sonarpur South in South 24 Parganas on Saturday to meet the family members of post-poll violence victim Biswajit Pattanayak.

Responding to queries on Abhishek's whereabouts, Trinamool Congress spokesperson and Beleghata MLA Kunal Ghosh told The Telegraph Online that the MP is at his residence.

"He came to meet the family members of Biswajit Pattanayak who was murdered," Ghosh replied in a text message.

"I don't know why CID or KMC came here. I was at Beleghata. I will leave for Sonarpur a little later," Abhishek told mediapersons after returning to his Harish Mukherjee road residence. "I have not bowed down before ED, CBI. I will move court soon."

"The Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee met the family members of Biswajeet Pattanayak, a Trinamool worker from ward 35 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. He was killed on the night of May 4, after the results were declared," Ghosh said. "Abhishek heard the family members and assured all support, legal and otherwise. The party will stand with the family."

The controversy centres on a letter submitted by the Trinamool Congress Legislative Party to the Assembly, where questions were raised over the authenticity of signatures of several party MLAs. The CID has been probing the matter and has already contacted or questioned multiple individuals linked to the case.

As part of the investigation, CID officials had earlier visited the residences of Kunal Ghosh and Nayana Bandyopadhyay, besides those of MLAs Baharul Islam and Tapas Maiti.

The latest development comes days after Kolkata Police personnel visited Abhishek's residence and removed scanners, monitors and other security-related equipment installed at the premises. The purpose of that visit and the removal of the devices have not been officially disclosed.

Neither the CID nor Abhishek's office has issued an official statement on Saturday's visit.