Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], June 1 (ANI): A team from the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrived at the residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday in connection with the alleged signature forgery case.
The state CID has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged forgery of signatures of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators.
The disputed signatures were part of a letter sent to the Assembly Speaker for the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), a West Bengal Police official said.
Police sources said that SIT is being spearheaded by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the West Bengal Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the matter.
Abhishek Banerjee did not appear before the CID at its Bhawani Bhawan headquarters today. He was asked to present the party’s original resolution copy.
Trinamool Congress (AITC) sources said Banerjee has responded to the agency by sending a formal letter through his legal counsel.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has launched a scathing attack on the TMC leadership over the issue.
Adhikari said at a press conference that law will take its own course under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and warned that “nobody who forged signatures will be spared.”
Detailing the timeline of the controversy, Adhikari said that on May 9, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) National General Secretary sent a letter to the Assembly Speaker proposing Shovondeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and Ashima Patra as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim as the chief whip.
This was followed by another letter on May 20 bearing 70 signatures.
However, the process was challenged by two Trinamool MLAs, Rithabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha and they lodged a formal complaint.
Following the Assembly Speaker’s intervention, an FIR was registered at the Hare Street Police Station, and the case was subsequently transferred to the CID.
“CID took signature samples from some MLAs whose names were in that letter. Three TMC MLAs, Baharul Islam, Arup Roy, and Subhashish Das, have confessed before the CID that they did not sign that document,” Adhikari said, adding that the Investigating Officer will determine the next steps of the probe based on statutory guidelines.
Trinamool Congress has expelled MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect. (ANI)
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