The Calcutta High Court is scheduled on Wednesday, 10 June to hear a petition filed by All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, challenging the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) summons issued to him in connection with the legislators' signature mismatch case. The hearing marks the first formal judicial examination of the matter after a vacation bench declined to grant emergency relief last week.

Background: The Signature Mismatch Case

The CID has been probing alleged mismatches in the signatures of certain TMC legislators on a resolution concerning appointments to key Assembly posts reserved for the opposition. Abhishek Banerjee was served three separate notices for interrogation by CID sleuths, including a summons requiring him to appear at the agency's headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan by 5 pm on Tuesday. He reportedly did not comply with any of the three summonses.

Court's Earlier Stand and Current Hearing

Last week, Banerjee approached the single-judge vacation bench of Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das, seeking to quash the CID summons and obtain protection from coercive police action, including arrest. The vacation bench rejected the plea for immediate relief and fixed 10 June as the date for the first full hearing. Banerjee had also sought a fast-track hearing, which was not granted at that stage.

Raids at TMC Offices Ahead of Hearing

The court proceedings come a day after the CID conducted simultaneous raids and search operations on Tuesday at two locations: a TMC party office adjacent to the residence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Kalighat in south Kolkata, and another office at Camac Street in central Kolkata, from which Abhishek Banerjee reportedly operated. The searches were aimed at recovering the original copy of the disputed resolution. As of Wednesday morning, the CID had not confirmed the outcome of those operations.

Political Context: INDIA Bloc Meeting

Notably, both Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee had travelled to Delhi on 8 June to attend a key meeting of the opposition Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) Bloc. On 9 June, Mamata Banerjee also held a one-on-one meeting with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. The timing of the CID's escalating action — raids and a missed interrogation deadline — against the backdrop of opposition coalition activity has drawn political attention.

What Comes Next

Wednesday's hearing will determine whether the court grants Abhishek Banerjee interim protection from arrest and how it views the legality of the CID summonses. The CID's next steps in the probe — including whether it will seek judicial backing to compel his appearance — will likely hinge on the court's direction. The case is being closely watched as a test of the legal boundaries between state investigative agencies and elected political leaders in West Bengal.