CID at Abhishek Banerjee's home again in forged signature case
Sources close to the development told India Today that the CID team today visited the MP's residence to get his signature on a notice. They left after getting the signature.
A team from West Bengal's Central Investigative Department (CID) arrived at Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee's residence on Monday, marking their second visit in a span of three days. The development came after the state investigative agency issued a notice to the Diamond Harbour MP on Saturday, summoning him to its headquarters in a case of forged signatures of several MLAs in a letter that endorsed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly.
However, Banerjee, who was attacked and injured in a separate incident at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas on the very day the CID team visited for the first time, skipped the summons, citing health adversities. He also requested a 15-day extension to appear before the investigative agency.
Sources close to the development told India Today that the CID team today visited the MP's residence to get his signature on a notice. They left after getting the signature.
WHAT IS THE MLA SIGNATURE FORGERY CASE?
The controversy is centred around a letter that nominated veteran TMC leader and MLA-elect from Ballygunge assembly constituency, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the leader of the Bengal state assembly after TMC's poll rout.
Multiple claims were raised that signatures of some of the elected MLAs were forged on the paper without their consent.
Earlier, the investigative agency questioned TMC MLAs Kunal Ghosh and Nayna Bandyopadhyay in this regard.
TMC SUSPENDS TWO MLAS ON MONDAY
The controversy is causing severe discomfort for the TMC as the party is witnessing a serious rebellion within its ranks. Hours before the CID team arrived at Banerjee's residence in the Kalighat home, the party suspended two of its newly elected MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, for being involved in anti-party activities.
The duo reportedly complained to state assembly speaker Rathindra Bose that the official letter endorsing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition included the signatures of several MLAs without their consent.
It has been observed that you have engaged in activities and made statements that are prejudicial to the interests of AITC," the expulsion letter, signed by the party’s vice president, Chandrima Bhattacharya, read.
The expulsion came minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, in his press conference, said, "TMC has submitted a copy of a resolution supposedly signed by 70 MLAs. However, two AITC MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, have alleged that no such resolution ever took place or was signed, claiming the entire document is manufactured and fabricated."
"Notably, 14 of the signatures are written in block letters. Three MLAs have already explicitly stated that they never signed any resolution. Following these discrepancies, the Secretary of the Speaker lodged an FIR at the Hare Street police station, and the case has now been handed over to the CID," he further added.
A team from West Bengal's Central Investigative Department (CID) arrived at Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee's residence on Monday, marking their second visit in a span of three days. The development came after the state investigative agency issued a notice to the Diamond Harbour MP on Saturday, summoning him to its headquarters in a case of forged signatures of several MLAs in a letter that endorsed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly.
However, Banerjee, who was attacked and injured in a separate incident at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas on the very day the CID team visited for the first time, skipped the summons, citing health adversities. He also requested a 15-day extension to appear before the investigative agency.
Sources close to the development told India Today that the CID team today visited the MP's residence to get his signature on a notice. They left after getting the signature.
WHAT IS THE MLA SIGNATURE FORGERY CASE?
The controversy is centred around a letter that nominated veteran TMC leader and MLA-elect from Ballygunge assembly constituency, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, the leader of the Bengal state assembly after TMC's poll rout.
Multiple claims were raised that signatures of some of the elected MLAs were forged on the paper without their consent.
Earlier, the investigative agency questioned TMC MLAs Kunal Ghosh and Nayna Bandyopadhyay in this regard.
TMC SUSPENDS TWO MLAS ON MONDAY
The controversy is causing severe discomfort for the TMC as the party is witnessing a serious rebellion within its ranks. Hours before the CID team arrived at Banerjee's residence in the Kalighat home, the party suspended two of its newly elected MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, for being involved in anti-party activities.
The duo reportedly complained to state assembly speaker Rathindra Bose that the official letter endorsing Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition included the signatures of several MLAs without their consent.
It has been observed that you have engaged in activities and made statements that are prejudicial to the interests of AITC," the expulsion letter, signed by the party’s vice president, Chandrima Bhattacharya, read.
The expulsion came minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, in his press conference, said, "TMC has submitted a copy of a resolution supposedly signed by 70 MLAs. However, two AITC MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, have alleged that no such resolution ever took place or was signed, claiming the entire document is manufactured and fabricated."
"Notably, 14 of the signatures are written in block letters. Three MLAs have already explicitly stated that they never signed any resolution. Following these discrepancies, the Secretary of the Speaker lodged an FIR at the Hare Street police station, and the case has now been handed over to the CID," he further added.
