Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday, 9 June skipped the third consecutive summons issued by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police, failing to appear for questioning in a probe linked to alleged signature mismatches on a legislative resolution concerning Opposition bench positions in the state Assembly. Banerjee, currently in New Delhi, instead sent a written communique to the CID requesting additional time, citing his absence from Kolkata.

What the Probe Is About

The CID investigation centres on alleged mismatches in the signatures of certain Trinamool Congress legislators on a resolution related to key positions in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly reserved for the Opposition bench. The nature of the irregularity and the number of legislators involved have not been officially disclosed, but the probe has escalated rapidly over the past fortnight.

Three Notices, Three No-Shows

This marks the third time Banerjee has not complied with a CID summons — the first notice required appearance on 1 June, the second on 8 June, and the third on 9 June by 5 pm. In his latest communique, Banerjee also pointed to a scheduled hearing on Wednesday before a single-judge vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court, where his petition challenging the CID summons — and seeking protection from coercive police action, including arrest — is listed for consideration.

CID Raids Party Offices Simultaneously

Even as Banerjee's communique arrived at CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan in Kolkata, two CID teams were conducting parallel raids at a Trinamool Congress party office adjacent to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence at Kalighat in South Kolkata, and at another office on Camac Street in Central Kolkata — the latter reportedly used as Abhishek Banerjee's operational base.

The Delhi Backdrop and Rebel MPs

Abhishek Banerjee departed for New Delhi on the evening of 6 June; Mamata Banerjee followed on the evening of 8 June. Both attended the significant meeting of the opposition Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc in New Delhi on 8 June. Their return to Kolkata remains unconfirmed.

This comes at a particularly fraught moment for the party: 20 of 28 Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MPs have reportedly turned rebel under the leadership of four-time members Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar and Satabdi Roy, all of whom have reportedly refused to accept Abhishek Banerjee's authority as General Secretary. The internal revolt adds a volatile political dimension to an already legally charged situation.

What Comes Next

The Calcutta High Court hearing on Wednesday is the immediate flashpoint — the court's ruling on Banerjee's petition for protection from arrest will determine whether the CID can move toward more coercive steps. Should the court decline relief, the agency may escalate its enforcement posture. Meanwhile, the simultaneous raids signal that investigators are not waiting for Banerjee's voluntary cooperation to advance the probe.