Derek O'Brien skips Kolkata Police questioning over TMC hoarding removal chaos
TMC MP Derek O'Brien did not appear before Kolkata Police over the scuffle during a TMC hoarding removal drive, with his lawyers disputing the summons. The move sharpens the standoff as police also summoned Abhishek Banerjee in the same investigation.
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien did not appear before Kolkata Police on Monday in connection with last week's scuffle outside party MP Abhishek Banerjee's office on Camac Street. His lawyers sent a communication to the police questioning the validity of the summons.
O'Brien had been asked to appear at Shakespeare Sarani police station at noon for questioning over the August 27 confrontation, which took place during a Kolkata Municipal Corporation drive to remove an allegedly unauthorised hoarding from the premises.
His lawyers told the police that the summons was "not in order" and that the TMC MP would therefore not appear before the investigating officer on Monday.
The development came a day after police served a similar notice on TMC national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee, asking him to appear for questioning on Tuesday in connection with the same incident.
According to police sources, a team of three officers from Shakespeare Sarani police station visited O'Brien's residence on Prince Anwar Shah Road on Sunday morning to serve the notice. As the MP was away, his staff accepted the summons on his instructions, the sources said.
Police had earlier tried to serve the notice on Saturday evening.
The summons to O'Brien followed CCTV footage purportedly showing him trying to prevent police personnel from entering the Camac Street premises during the civic body's drive.
Police have registered three separate FIRs in connection with the incident under provisions related to assault, obstruction of public servants and rioting. Police sources said Banerjee's summons is linked to two of the cases.