West Bengal CID searches Mamata Banerjee's residence in signature forgery probe
On June 9, 2026, West Bengal CID searched former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Kolkata residence and TMC party office over alleged forgery of two MLAs' signatures on a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition. TMC leaders condemned it as political vendetta, while the Calcutta High Court ordered TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to appear for questioning on June 11, granting him interim protection. The TMC has challenged the search's legality in court.
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Abhishek Banerjee makes second appearance before CID in West Bengal MLAs signature forgery case
Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the West Bengal CID for a second time on June 14, 2026, regarding the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures in a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition. He arrived early at 11:43 AM instead of the scheduled noon. Trinamool spokesperson and MLA Kunal Ghosh also arrived at 3 PM for questioning. Banerjee was still being interrogated when Ghosh left after four hours at 7:25 PM. The investigation stems from a complaint by MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha. A Calcutta High Court order had directed Banerjee to appear and granted three-week interim protection from coercive action. Separately, Banerjee faces questioning by the Enforcement Directorate on June 15 in connection with a multi-crore cash-for-school job case. The CID previously searched the residence of former CM Mamata Banerjee, and police searched Banerjee's own residence in connection with a land fraud case.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.CID team visits West Bengal Assembly in signature forgery probe
On June 15, 2026, a team of West Bengal CID officers visited the State Assembly as part of an investigation into the alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures related to the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition. The CID approached the Speaker's Secretariat to gather information about a party resolution naming the nominee for the post. The investigation follows the questioning of Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on two occasions, as well as several MLAs. On June 14, Banerjee and TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh were interrogated face-to-face. Searches at the TMC office and Banerjee's residence last week failed to recover the resolution document, which investigators consider crucial. The CID is examining documentary evidence and verifying statements to establish the sequence of events. The Calcutta High Court is scheduled to hear Banerjee's plea seeking protection in connection with the case.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.West Bengal MLAs Signature Forgery Case: Abhishek Banerjee Appears Before CID
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee appeared before the West Bengal CID on June 11, 2026, in connection with a signature forgery case involving MLAs. The Calcutta High Court granted him three weeks of interim protection from coercive action, provided he cooperates with the investigation. The case stems from a complaint by TMC MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who alleged their signatures were forged on a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition. The CID had previously searched the party office adjacent to former CM Mamata Banerjee's residence. The scandal has triggered a major rebellion within the TMC, with 58 MLAs forming a separate bloc and 20 of 29 Lok Sabha MPs deciding to support the NDA government. Three Rajya Sabha MPs have resigned from the party.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Abhishek Banerjee Appears for Second Round of CID Questioning in Signature Forgery Case
Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee arrived at the CID headquarters in Kolkata on June 14, 2026, for a second round of questioning in connection with an alleged forgery of MLAs' signatures. The case involves the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. CID officials stated they were unsatisfied with Banerjee's responses during his interrogation the previous week and have summoned him again. TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh was also summoned for questioning on the same day, with the possibility of a face-to-face interrogation between the two leaders. The controversy began after discrepancies were noticed in signatures on documents submitted to the Assembly supporting Sovandeb Chattopadhyay for the Leader of the Opposition post. An FIR was registered, and a CID probe is underway, with several legislators already questioned.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Calcutta High Court Orders Abhishek Banerjee to Appear in Signature Forgery Case
The Calcutta High Court has directed Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 11, 2026, at 6 p.m. in connection with a signature forgery probe. The court granted him three weeks of interim protection, barring the CID from taking coercive action as long as he cooperates. The investigation stems from an FIR filed by TMC MLAs Ritabarta Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who allege their signatures were forged on a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. Banerjee had previously skipped summons citing health issues. Separately, the TMC has challenged a CID search of its party office near former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.West Bengal CID searches Mamata Banerjee's residence and TMC office in forgery case
On June 9, 2026, the West Bengal CID searched the Kolkata residence of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party office in connection with an alleged forgery of signatures of two TMC MLAs. The case involves a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition, which MLAs Ritabarta Banerjee and Sandipan Saha claim had their signatures forged. TMC leaders, including Kalyan Banerjee and Derek O'Brien, condemned the search as 'political vendetta' and harassment, noting Mamata Banerjee was not named in any FIR. State Minister Agnimitra Paul (BJP) defended the action, stating no one is above the law. TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who signed the letter, failed to appear for CID summons, citing health issues and requesting further extension.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Calcutta High Court Orders Abhishek Banerjee to Appear in Signature Forgery Case
The Calcutta High Court has directed Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 11, 2026, at 6 p.m. in connection with a signature forgery probe. The court granted him three weeks of interim protection, barring the CID from taking coercive action as long as he cooperates. The investigation stems from an FIR filed by TMC MLAs Ritabarta Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who allege their signatures were forged on a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition. Banerjee had previously skipped CID summons citing health issues. Separately, the TMC has challenged the legality of a CID search at their party office near former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Trinamool Congress Challenges CID Search in Calcutta High Court
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the legality of a search operation conducted by the West Bengal CID at the party office adjacent to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence in Kolkata's Kalighat area. The search, carried out on June 9, 2026, is linked to an investigation into allegedly forged signatures of two TMC MLAs on a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. The petition, filed by senior MP Kalyan Banerjee, alleges the raids were conducted in the absence of main witnesses and that important party documents were scanned. The matter was mentioned before Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya and is scheduled for hearing on June 11. Both Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee were not present during the search. The CID has accused a former TMC MP of obstructing the investigation.
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.West Bengal CID enters Mamata Banerjee's residence in forgery probe
On June 9, 2026, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police reached the residence of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at 30B, Harish Chatterjee Street, Kolkata, in connection with allegations of forgery of signatures of party MLAs. After a brief standoff with Trinamool Congress supporters, a team of half a dozen CID officials entered the premises to conduct a search. The case stems from a letter nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition, which two MLAs—Ritabarta Banerjee and Sandipan Saha—claimed had their signatures forged, leading to their expulsion from the party. An FIR was registered at Hare Street Police Station and later handed over to the CID. The agency had issued summons to party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who signed the letter, but he sought a 15-day delay citing health issues.
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