West Bengal CID searches TMC offices in Kolkata during alleged signature forgery probe

The West Bengal CID searched the Trinamool Congress central office in Kolkata and the office of party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday as part of an investigation into an alleged Assembly signature forgery case. The searches took place in Kolkata's Kalighat area and on Camac Street, according to the supplied report. The party said the timing of the operation was politically motivated.

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The report says the searches were carried out while party chief Mamata Banerjee was in Delhi meeting Congress Parliamentary chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her residence. The meeting lasted about an hour and, according to TMC sources, was intended to discuss coordination among INDIA bloc parties. A senior party MP said the discussion was about the opposition alliance working together in unity.

In a statement, TMC leader in the Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien described the CID action as "political vendetta" and said it was "shamelessly timed" to coincide with Mamata Banerjee's meeting in Delhi. He said the CID was trying to enter the party headquarters adjoining residence in Kolkata and referred to a heavy CRPF presence at the main entrance. The party also said earlier in the day that it was not worried by the exits of its leaders and that it had the support of "Maa, Maati and Maanush".

The development comes at a sensitive moment for the party, which is facing internal dissent and a public challenge from a rebel group. The report says a group led by senior Trinamool leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday saying it wanted to join the NDA. The leadership has contested the rebels' claim of support from 20 Lok Sabha MPs, saying the number was 12.

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The same report says 60 of the party's 80 MLAs had also rebelled days earlier over Mamata Banerjee's choice of Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as their leader in the Assembly. The searches also highlight the legal and political pressure surrounding the party in West Bengal and in Delhi. The CID action is tied to an alleged forgery investigation involving Assembly signatures, while the party is simultaneously trying to project unity through contacts with opposition allies.

Mamata Banerjee's meeting with Sonia Gandhi is significant because it points to continuing efforts to coordinate within the INDIA bloc at a time of internal strain for the TMC. What remains unclear from the report is the exact nature of the alleged forgery case, what material the CID was seeking, and whether any seizures or arrests followed the searches. It is also not clear how long the investigation will continue or whether the party offices will face further action.

The immediate focus will be on any official response from the CID and whether the TMC escalates its allegations of political targeting.

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