CID issues notice to Kunal Ghosh, summons him in Assembly signature forgery case

The CID has issued a notice to Trinamool Congress MLA Kunal Ghosh and directed him to appear before investigators on Sunday in connection with the alleged Assembly signature forgery case. The summons was issued a day after Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was questioned for nearly five and a half hours by investigators. Abhishek Banerjee has been asked to appear again at Bhawani Bhavan at 12 noon on Sunday, while Kunal Ghosh has been directed to appear at 2:30 p.m. the same day.

Confirming the development, Kunal Ghosh said he had personally received the notice and would cooperate fully with the investigation. According to sources, CID officers also contacted several other MLAs on Friday as part of the ongoing probe. Investigators had earlier visited Kunal Ghosh's residence and recorded his statement regarding the allegations under examination.

The investigation relates to allegations of forged signatures on a letter submitted to the Speaker by the Trinamool Legislative Party regarding the selection of Shovandeb Chattopadhyay as the Leader of the Opposition. Several Trinamool MLAs later claimed that they had never signed the document despite their names appearing on it. Some names were allegedly written in block letters. The letter carried the signature of Abhishek Banerjee in his capacity as the party's General Secretary, following which a complaint was filed at Hare Street Police Station and the case was transferred to the CID for investigation.

Abhishek Banerjee had earlier challenged repeated CID notices before the Calcutta High Court. During a hearing on Thursday, the bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda directed him to appear before investigators by 6 p.m. and cooperate with the probe. The court also stated that no coercive action could be taken against him at that stage. Following the order, he appeared before CID officers and was questioned for nearly five and a half hours before being summoned again for a second round of questioning.

The controversy has unfolded amid political developments within the Trinamool Legislative Party. Expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee has been recognized as the Leader of the Opposition after submitting a letter to the Speaker bearing the signatures of 59 MLAs. A dissident faction within the party has claimed that it represents the "real" Trinamool Congress and has requested former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to remain associated with the party in an advisory capacity.