Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has received interim protection from coercive action for three weeks from the Calcutta High Court in connection with the alleged signature forgery case being investigated by the West Bengal CID. The relief comes amid an ongoing legal challenge by the senior party leader against repeated summons issued by investigators.

The case relates to allegations that signatures of several Trinamool Congress MLAs were forged on a party resolution submitted to the West Bengal Assembly during a leadership dispute. The complaint led to the registration of a case and a CID investigation, with the agency seeking to question Banerjee regarding the disputed document.

Court grants temporary relief

During the hearing, the court granted Banerjee protection from arrest and other coercive measures for three weeks while the matter remains under judicial consideration. The interim order provides temporary relief as the legal proceedings continue and the CID investigation moves forward.

Banerjee had approached the High Court challenging the CID summons and seeking protection from any adverse action. He had also requested additional time to appear before investigators, citing legal proceedings and other commitments.

CID probe and summons

The West Bengal CID has issued multiple notices to Banerjee in the alleged forgery case and has maintained that his statement is important for the investigation. Investigators have also questioned several MLAs and carried out searches linked to the probe.

According to investigators, the inquiry focuses on allegations that signatures appearing on a party communication submitted to the Assembly did not match those of some legislators. The authenticity of the document and related records remains under examination.

The matter is expected to return to court after the expiry of the interim protection period, while the CID investigation continues.

The West Bengal Crime Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday carried out a search at the Kalighat residence-cum-office of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee as part of its investigation into an alleged signature forgery case that has triggered a major political controversy in the state.

The probe relates to allegations that signatures of several Trinamool Congress MLAs were forged on a communication submitted to the Assembly Speaker regarding the selection of senior party leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of Opposition.

According to the complaint, two party MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, informed the Speaker that no resolution had been adopted at a May 6 meeting as claimed in the official communication. They further alleged that signatures were added later and questioned the authenticity of several entries on the document.

The CID team, accompanied by police personnel, arrived at the premises located at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in Kolkata. The location serves as both Mamata Banerjee’s residence and an important party office. Investigators reportedly conducted the search after seeking information connected to the collection of signatures under scrutiny.

The development comes amid an intensifying investigation that has already seen multiple notices issued to Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Searches were also conducted at locations linked to him as investigators sought to verify details regarding the process through which the signatures were collected.

The signature forgery controversy has added to the political challenges facing the Trinamool Congress, with the issue exposing internal divisions within the party following its recent electoral setback in West Bengal.

Former MP and Telangana Rakshana Sena chief K Kavitha has accused the Telangana government of adopting a selective approach in dealing with land-related issues and demanded action regarding a parcel of land allegedly owned by Pawan Kalyan.

Addressing reporters in Hyderabad, Kavitha questioned the administration led by A Revanth Reddy and alleged that authorities were not acting uniformly in cases involving land that falls within protected water body limits.

Kavitha alleges land falls within protected limits

Kavitha claimed that around 10 acres of land associated with Pawan Kalyan is located in the Kodikunta lake area and falls under Shikam land and Full Tank Level (FTL) limits. According to her, official revenue records identify the land as protected lake property, and therefore authorities should examine the matter and take appropriate action.

She argued that if action is taken against certain properties for alleged violations involving lakes and water bodies, similar standards should be applied in all cases without exception.

Criticism of the Telangana government

During the interaction, Kavitha also criticised the Telangana government and alleged that large-scale irregularities had taken place in matters related to public land. She accused the administration of failing to address several issues while selectively targeting others.

The remarks come amid an ongoing political confrontation involving opposition leaders and the Congress-led government in Telangana, with land-related controversies becoming a key point of political debate.

No immediate response reported

There was no immediate public response reported from Pawan Kalyan or the Telangana government regarding Kavitha’s latest allegations at the time of reporting. The claims made by Kavitha have also not been independently verified by authorities.