TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee petitions bar association over CID call on case

TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee has asked the Calcutta High Court Bar Association to intervene after a CID officer called to interrogate him in a forgery case. Banerjee, who is the senior advocate in the case, called it an attack on his professional independence.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee has formally petitioned the Calcutta High Court Bar Association to intervene following a contentious phone call from a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officer, which he claims is a direct attempt to undermine his professional independence and the sanctity of his legal practice. In a letter released publicly on Thursday, Banerjee detailed an alarming incident in which an individual identifying himself as a CID officer contacted him on his mobile phone, seeking "permission" to interrogate him regarding an ongoing forgery investigation.

To The Secretary, Bar Association, Calcutta High Court. Dear Sir, This is to inform you that I am appearing as Senior Advocate in the matter of Sovandeb Chatterjee vs Speaker, West Bengal Legislative… — Kalyan Banerjee (@KBanerjee_AITC) June 18, 2026 "Today, a few minutes back, one Partha Bhattacharjee, claiming himself to be the officer of CID, called me on my mobile and sought my permission to interrogate me in connection with the said criminal case," he wrote on X.

Details of the Disputed Case

Banerjee, in the public letter posted on X, noted that he has been representing TMC leader Sovandeb Chatterjee in a writ petition (WPO 276 of 2026) challenging the Speaker's recognition of rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Opposition Leader. An FIR lodged at the Hare Street Police Station was later transferred to the CID, following the allegations by certain MLAs that their signatures on the party's resolution to appoint Chatterjee as the LoP were forged, he said.

This case stems from a complaint alleging irregularities in a resolution submitted to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly regarding the appointment of Sovandeb Chatterjee as Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly, Asima Patra and Nayna Bandyopadhyay as Deputy LoP, and Firhad Hakim as Chief Whip.

Banerjee Questions Police Impropriety

Banerjee further highlighted the impropriety of police contact while he remains active as counsel in the very matter being investigated. "How can the police interrogate a Senior Advocate who is arguing a matter in connection with a criminal case?" he questioned. He urged the Bar Association to take necessary action to "protect the dignity, respect, and privilege of an Advocate."

Wider Political Context

This comes after a total of 58 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress have already formed a separate faction within the West Bengal assembly, where Ritabrata Banerjee has been recognised as Leader of Opposition by the speaker Rathindra Bose. (ANI)

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