Abhishek Banerjee Seeks More Time to Appear Before CID in Signature Mismatch Probe

Kolkata, June 2026 : Trinamool Congress National General Secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee has sought additional time to appear before the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the ongoing investigation into the alleged signature mismatch case involving party legislators.

According to sources within the Trinamool Congress, Banerjee has written to the CID requesting a postponement of his appearance, citing health concerns following an incident in Sonarpur, South 24 Parganas district, on May 30. During a visit to meet the family of a party worker, Banerjee was allegedly heckled and physically harassed by a section of protesters, resulting in injuries and discomfort.

Party insiders said that Banerjee is still recovering from the incident and has not yet fully regained his health. According to sources, he continues to experience pain in his jaw and soreness across his body, making it difficult for him to attend the CID office in response to the summons issued by the investigating agency.

The sources further claimed that several medical examinations and follow-up tests are still pending, and doctors have advised him to take adequate rest. In view of his condition, Banerjee has requested the CID to grant him more time before he joins the investigation.

The Trinamool Congress leader had been summoned by the CID to appear before investigators on Monday afternoon. The notice was issued as part of a probe into allegations of discrepancies in signatures of Trinamool Congress MLAs on documents related to nominations for key positions within the West Bengal Assembly.

To investigate the matter, the CID recently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The team is reportedly headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and includes a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) along with two inspectors.

The case revolves around alleged mismatches in the signatures of some Trinamool legislators on a resolution concerning appointments to important positions in the Assembly. The positions include the Leader of the House, deputy leaders and the party’s Chief Whip.

As part of the process, Banerjee, in his capacity as the party’s general secretary, had forwarded recommendations to the Assembly Secretariat. The proposed names included Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, Nayna Bandyopadhyay, Asima Patra and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim for various leadership roles within the legislature.

However, Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose reportedly insisted on the submission of a formal resolution carrying the signatures of Trinamool legislators. During scrutiny, questions were raised regarding discrepancies in some of the signatures, prompting the matter to be referred to the CID for investigation.

The CID had initially attempted to serve the notice at Banerjee’s residence on Harish Mukherjee Road before tracing him to another residence in Kalighat, where the notice was formally delivered.

Following the summons, Banerjee had stated that he would cooperate fully with the investigation while taking appropriate legal advice. His request for additional time is now under consideration as the CID continues its probe into the alleged signature mismatch controversy.

Team Maverick.