Kolkata, 05 June (H.S.) : The Calcutta High Court has dealt a setback to Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee in the CID summons case, rejecting his plea seeking an expedited hearing.

The matter is linked to allegations of discrepancies in signatures of legislators during the nomination process for key posts in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. Following these allegations, the Assembly Secretariat had ordered a CID investigation.

Banerjee had filed a petition before the Calcutta High Court on June 3 challenging the CID summons and seeking protection from any coercive action, including arrest. He had also requested that the matter be heard on a fast-track basis.

On Friday, the case came up before Justice Chaitali Chattopadhyay’s single-judge vacation bench, which rejected the request for expedited hearing. However, the court has allowed the case to proceed through regular judicial channels.

The CID had earlier summoned Banerjee for questioning on June 1, but he sought time citing health reasons. Subsequently, a fresh summons was issued on the same day directing him to appear on June 8.

According to sources, both Abhishek Banerjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee are scheduled to attend an INDIA bloc meeting in New Delhi on June 8, adding a political dimension to the ongoing legal developments.

The controversy stems from alleged inconsistencies in signatures submitted in proposals related to opposition and other legislative posts. Following the complaints, the Assembly Secretariat handed over the investigation to the CID, which led to the issuance of summons.

The High Court has clarified that the matter will continue to be heard under the normal course of proceedings.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh