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'Can't compel him for statement': Calcutta HC grants protection to Abhishek Banerjee in forged signature case

The court reportedly asked the Trinamool's Abhishek Banerjee to appear before CID, noting that he was ready to cooperate.

Updated on: Jun 11, 2026, 13:08:10 IST
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Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee cannot be forced to make a statement against himself, the Calcutta High Court said on Thursday as it heard a plea filed by him linked to alleged forgery of signatures of newly-elected TMC MLAs. Banerjee has been granted protection from coercive action for three weeks.

TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee arrives for the INDIA bloc meeting at Constitution Club of India, in New Delhi. (ANI)
TMC General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee arrives for the INDIA bloc meeting at Constitution Club of India, in New Delhi. (ANI)

Hearing arguments from both Banerjee's counsel and those seeking investigation, the court reportedly asked the Trinamool leader to appear before CID, noting that he was ready to cooperate. Follow live updates on the TMC crisis here.

“You cannot compel an accuse to give a statement against himself like this. He can say he doesn’t know. You conduct search and seizure, question him,” the high court bench said, according to a LiveLaw report.

The forged signatures controversy erupted weeks after the TMC suffered a crushing loss in the West Bengal Assembly elections. After documents were submitted to the West Bengal Assembly on the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition and the party's chief whip, some legislators claimed that signatures of some members were either forged or placed without consent.

What Abhishek Banerjee told court

In Banerjee's defence, his counsel argued that the TMC MP was not part of any meeting where the resolution was taken and merely made submissions to the Speaker as General Secretary of the party. His counsel also questioned the need for seeking Banerjee's custody when he was already willing to cooperate.

“They want me in custody to secure the document. Have I eaten the document? They want to conduct an operation and bring it out? They can only ask for custody to interrogate. I am saying I will cooperate entirely. What is the need for custody?,” the petitioner said.

However, the side seeking Banerjee's custody argued against granting protection to Banerjee, saying at least five MLAs have claimed that signatures were forged. Seeking the original resolution, lawyers argued that he was an “accused” and needed to be interrogated.

The CID took over the probe after an FIR by the Assembly secretary. The Calcutta High Court has granted Banerjee protection from coercive action for three weeks, directing him to appear before the CID at its headquarters Bhabani Bhaban by 6 pm today.

Signature row and back-to-back setbacks for TMC

The signature controversy was one of the first signs of friction within the TMC. Two MLAs - Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, who later became central to leading a rebellion against the TMC, were expelled almost immediately after the legislators publicly questioned the signatures.

The situation has turned even more dire for the TMC, which is now facing a rebellion in Parliament. In the most recent blow to the party, its Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Chik Baraik became the third of TMC's 13 Rajya Sabha members to resign.

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