Abhishek Banerjee vows CID cooperation as probe widens in Shah threat case
Synopsis
Abhishek Banerjee pledged CID cooperation on Friday even as officers waited over two hours at his Kolkata home to serve a fresh notice — the latest episode in a widening probe over alleged threats to Home Minister Amit Shah. With the Calcutta High Court already forcing his hand once, two more CID dates loom on June 14 and June 16.
Key Takeaways
Abhishek Banerjee pledged cooperation with the West Bengal CID on 12 June after officers served a notice at his Kalighat Road residence.
He was questioned for over 5.5 hours at the CID office on Thursday after the Calcutta High Court set a deadline for his appearance.
A fresh notice asks him to appear on June 16 in the case accusing him of threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah .
He is also summoned on June 14 in the separate legislators' signature case.
The probe was transferred from Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station to the CID on Thursday, marking an escalation.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee on Friday, 12 June pledged full cooperation with the West Bengal Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) if summoned, hours after CID officials arrived at his Kalighat Road residence in South Kolkata to serve a fresh notice in a case accusing him of inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the recently concluded state assembly polls.
CID Officers Wait Two-and-a-Half Hours at Kalighat
A CID team reached Banerjee's Kalighat Road home on Friday evening to deliver the notice, but he was absent. The officers waited for nearly two and a half hours before Banerjee arrived and addressed waiting media persons. He attributed the delay to a meeting with former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — his aunt — at her residence. After speaking to reporters, he re-entered his home, leaving CID officials outside once more. The officers eventually handed the notice to a household employee and departed.
What Banerjee Said About the Interrogation
'I returned to Kolkata from New Delhi on Thursday afternoon and immediately went to the CID office to face interrogation in the legislators' signature case. There, I faced questioning for over 5.5 hours. I reached the CID office before the 6 pm deadline. I cooperated with them to the best of my ability. I am summoned again on June 14. I will go there on that day also,' Banerjee said.
On being asked why CID officers were kept waiting at his home, he said, 'During that meeting, a CID team came to give notice in a separate case. I asked my assistant Partha to receive the notice... If they inform me about their arrival in advance, I will be there. If they do not, they will have to wait.'
Background: Summons, Court Deadline, and the FIR
Banerjee did not address the fact that he had reportedly avoided three earlier CID summons before finally appearing on Thursday evening — a step taken only after a single-judge vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court set a firm deadline for his appearance. The fresh notice served on Friday asks him to present himself at the CID office on June 16 for questioning in the Shah threat case.
An FIR in the matter was registered last month at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station under the Bidhannagar City Police. The cybercrime unit conducted the initial probe until Thursday, when the case was formally transferred to the CID — a move that signals an escalation in the investigation.
What Happens Next
Banerjee is now scheduled to appear before the CID on both June 14 and June 16 in two separate cases. The transfer of the probe to the CID, combined with the Calcutta High Court's intervention, indicates the investigation is intensifying. How Banerjee responds to the upcoming summons will be closely watched by both political observers and the judiciary.
Point of View
A High Court-imposed deadline, and CID officers left waiting at his door for over two hours on the very day he made that pledge. The probe's transfer from a cybercrime unit to the CID is not procedural housekeeping — it typically signals a broader, more serious investigation. The Calcutta High Court's willingness to intervene once suggests the judiciary will not look away if future summons are similarly sidestepped. The political stakes are high: any perception that a senior TMC leader is stonewalling a probe into threats against a sitting Union Home Minister hands the BJP a durable campaign narrative in a state where both parties are locked in sustained electoral combat.
NationPress
28 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Abhishek Banerjee being summoned by the CID?
Banerjee has been summoned in connection with an FIR accusing him of inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal assembly polls. The case was initially investigated by the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station before being transferred to the CID.
What happened when CID officers visited his Kolkata home on June 12?
A CID team arrived at Banerjee's Kalighat Road residence in South Kolkata to serve a notice but found him absent. Officers waited roughly two and a half hours before he arrived, spoke briefly to the media, and re-entered his home. The notice was ultimately handed to a household employee.
Did Abhishek Banerjee previously avoid CID summons?
According to reports, Banerjee missed three earlier CID summons before appearing for questioning on Thursday evening. His appearance followed a single-judge vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court setting a firm deadline for him to present himself at the CID office.
When is Abhishek Banerjee next scheduled to appear before the CID?
He is scheduled to appear on June 14 in the legislators' signature case and on June 16 in the case related to alleged threats against Home Minister Amit Shah.
What is the significance of the probe being transferred to the CID?
The transfer from the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station to the CID, which occurred on Thursday, typically indicates an escalation in the seriousness and scope of the investigation.
