Abhishek Banerjee, general secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), has been served a notice by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police, directing him to appear at CID headquarters on 1 June. The notice was served at his Kalighat residence in South Kolkata on Saturday, 30 May, after investigators found no one at his Harish Mukherjee Road property earlier the same day.

What Triggered the CID Notice

The summons is reportedly linked to a CID probe into alleged signature mismatches on a TMC resolution submitted to the West Bengal Assembly Secretariat. The resolution had nominated the party's Leader of the Opposition, two deputy leaders, and the Chief Whip in the legislative wing. Speaker Rathindra Bose had insisted on a resolution carrying the signatures of TMC legislators; when discrepancies were detected in some signatures, the matter was referred to the CID for investigation.

Banerjee's Response

Banerjee confirmed receipt of the notice and said he would cooperate within the bounds of legal advice. Speaking to reporters outside his Kalighat residence, he was unambiguous about his defiance: 'After taking legal advice in the matter, I will extend all cooperation. But I will never bow down. If they wish, they can arrest me,' he said. He also stated that if CID officials wished to speak with him, they would have to come to his residence.

Earlier Nomination Letter and Assembly Dispute

Prior to the submission of the contested resolution, Banerjee — in his capacity as party general secretary — had written to the Assembly Secretariat nominating Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition, Nayna Bandyopadhyay and Asima Patra as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim — also the Mayor of Kolkata — as Chief Whip. The Speaker's insistence on a signed resolution subsequently brought the signature discrepancies to light.

Property Notice and Post-Poll Context

Separately, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) had also served Banerjee a notice concerning the Harish Mukherjee Road property, which is registered in the name of Leaps & Bounds Private Limited, a company reportedly owned by members of the Banerjee family. Banerjee responded by saying the KMC should clarify which portion of the building was deemed illegal. This comes amid a broader political transition: since the announcement of West Bengal Assembly election results on 4 May — which ended TMC's 15-year rule — Banerjee had largely remained homebound. On Saturday, he stepped out to meet a party worker in Beliaghata, North Kolkata, who was allegedly a victim of post-poll violence, marking one of his first public appearances since the electoral defeat.

What Happens Next

All eyes are now on 1 June, when Banerjee is expected to appear before the CID. His defiant public posture and the unresolved questions around both the signature probe and the property notice are likely to keep the political temperature in West Bengal elevated in the days ahead.