Calcutta HC rejects Abhishek Banerjee's plea to fast-track CID notice challenge
Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court has refused to fast-track Abhishek Banerjee's challenge to a CID summons in a signature mismatch row — and the next CID appearance date, 8 June, is the same day he and Mamata Banerjee are due in Delhi for the INDIA bloc meeting. The collision of legal deadlines and opposition politics makes this more than a routine court matter.
Key Takeaways
Calcutta High Court Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay rejected Abhishek Banerjee's fast-track plea on 5 June .
The case involves a signature mismatch on a TMC legislators' resolution nominating four key Assembly office-bearers.
Two TMC MLAs — Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha — flagged the mismatch to the Speaker's office, triggering the CID probe.
Abhishek Banerjee was first summoned on 1 June ; a second notice asks him to appear on 8 June .
Both Abhishek and Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to attend an INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on 8 June .
Banerjee's petition challenging the summons and seeking protection from arrest remains pending in court.
The Calcutta High Court's single-judge vacation bench on Friday, 5 June rejected a plea by All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee to expedite hearing on his petition challenging a CID summons in the MLA signature mismatch case. The bench, presided over by Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay, dismissed the fast-track request, leaving Banerjee's petition pending through the regular course.
Background: The Signature Mismatch Case
The controversy centres on a resolution submitted to the office of West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose, bearing the signatures of TMC legislators and endorsing four key appointments in the Assembly. Abhishek Banerjee had written to the Speaker's office naming Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition, Nayna Bandopadhyay and Asima Patra as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim as Chief Whip of TMC's legislative party. The Speaker insisted a signed resolution from legislators accompany the letter, and one was subsequently submitted.
The matter took a sharp turn when two TMC legislators — Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha — flagged a mismatch in certain signatures on the resolution to the Speaker's office. The Assembly secretariat then referred the matter to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which issued a summons to Abhishek Banerjee for interrogation.
The CID Summons and Banerjee's Response
Abhishek Banerjee was initially summoned to the CID office on 1 June. He did not appear on that date, seeking a 15-day extension citing his physical condition following an alleged assault by members of the public at Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district on 30 May. The CID responded the same evening — 1 June — by serving a second notice directing him to appear on 8 June.
On 3 June, Banerjee approached the Calcutta High Court challenging the summons and seeking protection from coercive police action, including arrest. His counsel simultaneously sought a fast-track hearing, which was rejected on Friday.
The Political Dimension
Notably, both Abhishek Banerjee and his aunt, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, are scheduled to be in New Delhi on 8 June to attend a meeting of the opposition INDIA bloc — the same date on which the CID has asked Abhishek to appear for questioning. The scheduling conflict adds a political layer to what is already a legally and factionally charged case within the TMC.
What Happens Next
With the fast-track plea dismissed, Banerjee's petition will proceed through the court's regular schedule. The 8 June CID appearance deadline remains in force unless the court grants a stay in the interim. The case is being closely watched as it touches on intra-party dynamics within TMC, the integrity of Assembly procedures, and the limits of legal protection from investigative summons.
Point of View
But the context is anything but. The 8 June CID deadline landing on the same day as the INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi is a pressure point that is hard to read as coincidence — and harder still to navigate without political optics. More significantly, the signature mismatch case exposes a crack within TMC's own legislative ranks: it was two of the party's own MLAs who raised the alarm. That internal fracture, not the court hearing, is the real story. The question is whether the CID probe stays within its factual brief or becomes an instrument in a broader intra-party settling of scores.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MLA signature mismatch case involving Abhishek Banerjee?
The case involves a resolution submitted to the West Bengal Assembly Speaker's office, bearing the signatures of TMC legislators endorsing four key party appointments. Two TMC MLAs flagged a mismatch in some signatures, prompting the Assembly secretariat to refer the matter to the CID, which then summoned Abhishek Banerjee for questioning.
Why did the Calcutta High Court reject Abhishek Banerjee's plea?
The single-judge vacation bench of Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay dismissed only the fast-track hearing request on 5 June. The underlying petition challenging the CID summons and seeking protection from arrest remains pending and will be heard through the regular court schedule.
When is Abhishek Banerjee required to appear before the CID?
The CID has issued a second notice asking Abhishek Banerjee to appear at its office on 8 June. He had not appeared on the earlier date of 1 June, citing a physical condition following an alleged assault at Sonarpur on 30 May.
Why is the 8 June date politically significant?
Both Abhishek Banerjee and former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to attend an INDIA bloc opposition meeting in New Delhi on 8 June — the same day the CID has summoned Abhishek for questioning, creating a direct conflict between legal and political obligations.
Who are the four TMC figures named in the Assembly resolution at the centre of the dispute?
The resolution named Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of Opposition, Nayna Bandopadhyay and Asima Patra as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim as Chief Whip of TMC's legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly.
