kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata, June 11: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee returned to Kolkata on Thursday evening to appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the ongoing signature forgery case. Although he has been granted interim protection from coercive action for 21 days, the court had directed him to appear before the CID office by 6 PM the same day, a deadline he complied with.

Banerjee arrived at Kolkata airport around 4:30 PM, he was greeted by protestors who raised slogans of “thief” as he exited the terminal. The situation briefly became tense, prompting security personnel to escort him quickly to his vehicle. Unlike his usual practice of speaking to the media at the airport, Banerjee did not respond to any questions on this occasion and remained silent throughout his exit.

Initial expectations were that he would proceed directly to the Bhawanipore CID office. However, he first went to his residence at Kalighat. After a brief stay of about thirty minutes, he left his home around 5:45 PM and proceeded towards Bhawanipore CID headquarters to comply with the court’s directive within the stipulated time.

The case, related to alleged signature forgery, has kept Banerjee under the scrutiny of the CID for some time. According to investigation sources, he had earlier skipped three consecutive summons issued by the agency. In response, he had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking protection from arrest, citing concerns of possible detention if he appeared before investigators.

Wednesday, he was expected to return from Delhi but reportedly remained in the capital due to apprehensions of arrest. The matter was heard in court on Thursday, where Justice Kaushik Chanda questioned Banerjee’s repeated absence from the CID summons. The judge reportedly asked why he had been avoiding appearance and instructed him to inform within ten minutes when he would appear before investigators, emphasizing that cooperation with the probe was mandatory.

The hearing, Banerjee’s legal counsel assured the court that he would cooperate fully with the investigation if granted protection from coercive action. After hearing both sides, the court granted him interim protection for 21 days but directed him to appear before the CID by 6 PM on Thursday without exception.

The court’s order, Banerjee arrived in Kolkata and proceeded under tight security arrangements. His arrival at the airport triggered protests from a section of people who raised slogans against him. The tense atmosphere continued briefly before he was escorted safely out of the premises by security personnel.

The Trinamool leader, often referred to as a key figure in the party’s youth wing, has been at the centre of the investigation for several days. Authorities continue to examine allegations linked to document manipulation and forgery. Further questioning by the CID is expected as the investigation progresses.