CID conducts marathon questioning of Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata: Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee faced a marathon interrogation before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), West Bengal, from Sunday morning at its headquarters at Bhabani Bhawan, for the second day, in connection with the MLAs’ signature mismatch case. The interrogation was still on at the time of going to press.

Trinamool MP Kunal Ghosh was also quizzed by the CID in the same case. He reached the CID office at around 3.30 pm and left at around 7.15 pm. Ghosh said, “I replied to their questions and cooperated in the probe. I was made to sit face to face with Abhishek Banerjee.” After leaving the CID office, Ghosh went to former CM Mamata Banerjee’s residence.

The Calcutta High Court gave conditional protection from any coercive action, including arrest, to Banerjee, for three weeks.

This was Abhishek’s second round of questioning in connection with the case, following a five-and-a-half-hour interrogation on Thursday night.

Abhishek Banerjee has been facing interrogation by two investigating agencies in three different cases for three consecutive days — June 14, June 15 and June 16.

On Monday (June 15), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) will quiz Abhishek in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case in West Bengal. The ED had already served him a notice on the matter on June 3. On Tuesday (June 16), Abhishek is expected to appear at the CID headquarters in connection with a case of inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a public rally during the recent state assembly polls.
Trinamool removes two rebel MPs from organisational postsThe Trinamool leadership has removed two Lok Sabha members from crucial organisational posts.

The most significant move was the replacement of four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Kolkata (Uttar) constituency, Sudip Bandopadhyay, from the post of the party’s president for the Kolkata (Uttar) Assembly constituency.

The decision came hours after information surfaced that Bandopadhyay was seen in a car with fellow rebel MP Satabdi Roy in Delhi on Saturda.

Bandopadhyay has been replaced by scribe-turned-politician and party legislator Kunal Ghosh.

On the other hand, first-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Jadavpur constituency in South 24 Parganas district and actress-turned-politician Saayoni Ghosh, who had also turned rebel, has been dropped from the post of president of the Trinamool youth wing. Arnab Mukherjee has replaced her.