Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee appeared at the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday for questioning in connection with the First Information Report (FIR) registered against him for allegedly delivering a provocative speech in the run-up to the West Bengal elections.
Banerjee arrived at the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhaban in Kolkata at noon.
Bidhannagar police registered a first information report (FIR) on May 15 against Banerjee for allegedly making provocative statements in some speeches posted on social media.
The FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by a local resident, Rajib Sarkar, on May 5, a day after the BJP defeated the TMC in the Assembly elections.
The case was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.
The CID last questioned Banerjee for over 8 hours in the legislators’ signature forgery case on Sunday, three days after he was interrogated for over five hours on June 11. On Monday, he was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate linked to money laundering allegations in connection with irregularities in the primary school recruitment case.
Rajib Sarkar, who was among the crowd outside the CID office on Tuesday, said he could approach the Calcutta High Court as well.
Banerjee had earlier challenged the FIR in the Calcutta High Court. On May 21, the Calcutta High Court granted Banerjee protection from coercive measures until July 31. However, Justice Saujata Bhattacharya ordered Banerjee to appear personally before the investigating officers and barred him from leaving the country without the court’s permission. Banerjee requested permission to physically appear before the police, but the court rejected the request.
The case is scheduled to be heard again on July 20.
