Top News

Police personnel, accompanied by central forces, conducted a pre-dawn search at Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata residence on Saturday in connection with an alleged financial fraud case.

The operation, led by a team from Salboni Police Station in Paschim Medinipur district and assisted by Kolkata Police personnel, began shortly after 3 a.m. and continued for more than four hours, setting off a fresh political controversy in the state.

Search Lasts More Than Four Hours

According to police, officers repeatedly knocked on the doors of Banerjee's residence in Kolkata's Kalighat area but received no response.

The TMC alleged that police personnel broke open a lock and entered the premises to carry out the search.

Speaking to reporters after the operation, Banerjee claimed that officers had forcibly entered the residence. “They broke the lock and searched the entire house,” he said.

The premises in Kalighat's Patuapara area remained under heavy security throughout the operation. Central forces cordoned off the neighbourhood, while personnel from Kalighat and Bhabanipur police stations assisted the search team.

Police officers said the action was linked to an ongoing investigation into a financial fraud case registered at Salboni Police Station. However, they declined to disclose further details about the allegations or the evidence being sought.

According to authorities, investigators were searching for the TMC MP's personal assistant in connection with the probe.

According to PTI, women officers were also part of the search team. During the operation, some officers briefly stepped outside the residence for discussions before resuming the search.

Mamata Visits Residence

As news of the search spread, TMC supremo and former chief minister Mamata Banerjee rushed to the residence and remained there for a considerable period while monitoring developments.

Her arrival intensified political activity in the area, with TMC workers and supporters gathering near the house.

Police personnel left the residence later in the morning, though it was not immediately clear whether any documents or materials had been seized.

Series Of Summonses And Investigations

The search came two days after the West Bengal CID questioned Banerjee in connection with an alleged forged-signature case linked to the state assembly.

Banerjee has been summoned again on June 14 in connection with the same case after CID officials were reportedly dissatisfied with his responses during an earlier round of questioning.

The Calcutta High Court had directed Banerjee to cooperate with investigators probing the alleged assembly signature forgery case and observed that the CID would not take any coercive action against him for two weeks.

On Friday, CID officers also visited his Kalighat residence to serve a notice regarding a cyber complaint linked to certain remarks allegedly made by him. After initially finding him unavailable, investigators later handed over the notice when he returned home.

Banerjee has been asked to appear before the CID on June 16 in connection with the cyber case.

The Diamond Harbour MP has publicly stated that he would cooperate with both investigations.

In addition, the Enforcement Directorate has summoned him on June 15 in connection with its probe into the alleged primary school recruitment irregularities case.

The pre-dawn search further heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with sections of the TMC alleging that Banerjee was being selectively targeted through successive investigations.

The BJP, however, maintained that investigating agencies were following due process and that no individual was above the law.

(With inputs from PTI)