Signature forgery row: Abhishek Banerjee gets interim relief; asked to appear before CID

NEW DELHI: The Calcutta high court on Thursday granted interim protection from coercive action to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with a case involving the alleged forgery of signatures of newly elected TMC MLAs after the recent assembly elections.While granting interim relief, the court directed Banerjee to appear before the investigating agency at 6 pm on Thursday for questioning in the matter. However, the protection order ensures that no coercive action can be taken against him for the time being.The high court also observed that Banerjee cannot be compelled to produce the allegedly forged document. It said the investigating agency must obtain the document through the legal process of search and seizure rather than requiring him to submit it.After the TMC's defeat in the West Bengal assembly elections, two factions emerged within the party, one backing Abhishek Banerjee, and another led by rebel MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha.Abhishek Banerjee wrote to the Assembly Speaker recommending senior leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition. A resolution purportedly signed by about 70 TMC MLAs was submitted to the Assembly Secretariat.On May 27, the two rebel MLAs told the Speaker that there was no meeting or resolution on May 6. They said they were only asked to sign a book on May 19, not any resolution. They also pointed out that at least 14 signatures were written in block letters rather than real cursive handwriting.The Assembly Secretariat filed an FIR. The case was later transferred to the CID. The CID has questioned at least 13 TMC MLAs, and at least three lawmakers have said the signatures linked to them are not real.Banerjee was summoned three times, on June 1, June 8 and June 9, but did not appear. His legal team said he was sick and in Delhi.On June 9, CID searched the TMC office located on the same premises as Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. Party leaders initially refused entry, leading to a brief standoff, but the search eventually went ahead.