West Bengal's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday, 9 June conducted raids and search operations at two All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) offices in Kolkata — one at Kalighat, adjacent to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence, and another at Camac Street, from where party General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee had operated. The action triggered sharp pushback from the pro-Abhishek faction within the party, with senior leaders alleging political vendetta orchestrated by the state's new dispensation.

What the CID Did

Two separate CID teams carried out simultaneous search operations at both offices. The sleuths were reportedly looking for an original copy of a party resolution. By the time reports were filed, both operations had concluded, though CID officials refused to comment on the outcome or findings of the searches.

Pro-Abhishek Leaders Push Back

Four-time Lok Sabha member and senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, along with party legislators Kunal Ghosh and Madan Mitra, arrived at the Kalighat office shortly after the raids began. Kalyan Banerjee was unambiguous in his criticism, alleging that the action was driven by political motives.

'They came just to search the office of Mamata Banerjee. On the one hand, the CID is asking Abhishek Banerjee to appear for questioning along with the original copy of the resolution. On the other hand, they are coming here to search for that copy of the resolution. These two things are inconsistent,' Banerjee told reporters.

Madan Mitra raised procedural concerns, noting that Mamata Banerjee was not in Kolkata at the time of the raid. 'After all, Mamata Banerjee is the former Chief Minister of the state. There is a protocol involved in the issue. Hence, the CID could give some time,' Mitra said. Kunal Ghosh was present but declined to speak to the media.

Derek O'Brien's X Post Flags Timing

TMC Parliamentary Party leader in Rajya Sabha, Derek O'Brien, posted a pointed statement on X, drawing attention to the timing of the raids. 'EXACTLY AT THE SAME TIME as @AITCofficial Chairperson @MamataOfficial was having a meeting today in Delhi with Sonia Gandhi, CID was forcefully trying to enter the AITC party HQ adjoining residence in Kolkata. First loot vote, now loot files of a political rival. Democracy? Main entrance overloaded with CRPF,' O'Brien wrote.

The Political Context

The raids come amid a fractured political landscape in West Bengal, where Mamata Banerjee and her nephew Abhishek Banerjee no longer lead the state government. Kalyan Banerjee named Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari as the alleged mastermind behind the CID action — a charge that has not been officially responded to by the government. Notably, the simultaneous questioning summons to Abhishek Banerjee and the physical search of offices for the same document has drawn questions about the consistency of the investigation's approach. The CID's silence on outcomes only deepens the opacity around the operation's purpose.