Partha Chatterjee slams SIT probe in fake signature case as improper

Ex-Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee slams the SIT probe in the fake signature case for LoP nomination. He calls it 'improper' police interference in Assembly matters. CID has formed a team, while CM Suvendu Adhikari vows action against offenders.

Former West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee on Monday expressed strong disapproval over the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged fake signature case involving the nomination of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly. Chatterjee questioned the jurisdiction of the police in parliamentary affairs, labelling the move as "improper" and unprecedented in the history of Indian politics.

Speaking on the development to ANI, Chatterjee questioned the role of law enforcement within the legislative framework. "How is the police supposed to intervene in this matter? That is my primary question. As for the newly appointed Speaker, the staff working alongside him are far more conversant with the rules and procedures. What, then, is the Speaker going to do?" he said. Chatterjee further urged the state leadership to reconsider the decision, warning of the implications of allowing police interference in the Assembly's functioning. "I would urge both the Chief Minister and the Speaker to recognise that this course of action is improper. Are you going to allow the police to rule over the Assembly? Never before, in the entire history of parliamentary politics, has such a thing ever occurred," he added.

CID Constitutes Special Investigation Team

The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has constituted a five-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged forgery of signatures of Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators. The disputed signatures were part of a nomination letter sent to the Assembly Speaker for the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), a West Bengal Police source said here on Monday.

According to police sources, the high-level SIT is being spearheaded by a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the West Bengal Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the matter. Meanwhile, TMC National General Secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee did not appear before the CID at its Bhawani Bhawan headquarters today, despite being served a notification to present the party's original resolution copy. Sources within the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) confirmed that Banerjee has responded to the agency by sending a formal letter through his legal counsel.

CM Adhikari Vows Action, Warns Forgers

The updates come amid a sharp political escalation, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari launching a scathing attack on the TMC leadership over the case. Addressing a press conference, Adhikari asserted that the law will take its own course under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and warned that "nobody who forged signatures will be spared."

How the Controversy Unfolded

Detailing the timeline of the controversy, Adhikari said that on May 9, the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) National General Secretary sent a letter to the Assembly Speaker proposing Shovondeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP, Nayana Bandyopadhyay and Ashima Patra as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim as the chief whip. This was followed by another letter on May 20 bearing 70 signatures.

However, the process was challenged when two Trinamool MLAs, Rithabrata Bandhopadhyay and Sandipan Saha, lodged a formal complaint alleging that no such resolution had been adopted by the legislative party. Following the Assembly Speaker's intervention, an FIR was registered at the Hare Street Police Station, and the case was subsequently transferred to the CID. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)