Trinamool Congress National General Secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee and party MLA Kunal Ghosh were questioned together by West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officials on Sunday, 14 June at the CID headquarters in Bhabani Bhawan, Kolkata, in connection with the Assembly signature mismatch case. The face-to-face interrogation, which lasted around four hours, marked a significant escalation in the probe.

What Happened at Bhabani Bhawan

Banerjee's vehicle arrived at the CID office at around 11:43 am, ahead of the noon deadline set by investigators. He signed the attendance register at the reception before proceeding inside. Security at the premises was visibly heightened, with additional state police personnel and Central forces deployed in the area — notable given that Sunday was a public holiday and CID officers had been called in specifically for the session.

It was Kunal Ghosh who, upon emerging from Bhabani Bhawan after the questioning, confirmed that the two leaders had been interrogated face to face by CID officials. Ghosh said he had cooperated with the investigation but declined to elaborate further. He proceeded directly to the residence of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee in Kalighat. Abhishek Banerjee, however, continued to remain inside the CID headquarters even after Ghosh had departed.

Background: Previous Rounds of Questioning

This was not Banerjee's first appearance before the CID in this matter. He had earlier been questioned for around five-and-a-half hours on Thursday, 11 June, following which he had also visited Mamata Banerjee's Kalighat residence. The CID had subsequently asked him to return on Sunday.

The Calcutta High Court had directed Banerjee to cooperate with the CID's investigation, while also ruling that the agency would not take any coercive action against him for the next two weeks. The court order underlines the legal sensitivity of the case, which involves a senior elected representative of the ruling party in West Bengal.

What Comes Next: ED and CID Notices

Banerjee faces a packed schedule of appearances before investigative agencies in the days ahead. On Monday, 15 June, he is scheduled to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its Salt Lake office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case in West Bengal. The ED had served him a notice in that matter on 3 June.

On Tuesday, 16 June, he is again scheduled to appear at the CID headquarters for questioning in a separate case in which he has been accused of inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the recently concluded Assembly polls in West Bengal. CID officials served him a notice in that matter on the evening of 12 June.

It remains unclear whether Banerjee will appear before these agencies on both days. Notably, unlike in the signature mismatch case, he does not currently have any High Court protection against police action in the ED matter or in the incitement case.

Political Significance

The simultaneous questioning of two senior Trinamool Congress figures — one a national general secretary and sitting MP from Diamond Harbour, the other a sitting MLA from Beleghata — in a single session signals the depth and pace of the CID's investigation. This comes amid broader scrutiny of the ruling party in West Bengal across multiple fronts, from the school jobs scam to post-poll violence allegations. How Banerjee navigates the coming days of questioning could have significant implications for both the legal proceedings and the party's political standing.