Kolkata, June 2 (IANS) The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police has approached the court in the signature case of Trinamool MLAs, officials said on Tuesday. The CID applied to the Bankshal Court to collect handwriting samples of Trinamool MLAs Baharul Islam, Subhashis Das, and Arup Roy. The court has granted the application.

The CID has formed a five-member team headed by a DIG-rank officer. A complaint was filed at the Hare Street police station by the state Assembly secretary regarding ‘inconsistencies’ in the signatures of Trinamool MLAs. On that basis, the CID is assisting Kolkata Police in the investigation.

On Monday, the Trinamool Congress expelled two MLAs, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, for anti-party activities.

The development came minutes after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, addressing a press conference at Nabanna, said it was Trinamool MLAs Ritabrata and Sandipan who had submitted a written complaint to the Speaker regarding the Assembly signature forgery case.

Based on that, the Assembly Secretariat filed a complaint with Hare Street Police Station. Adhikari said that as Police Minister, he ordered the CID’s involvement in the probe only after the matter came to his attention.

The former ruling party faced complications under Assembly rules regarding who would serve as the Leader of the Opposition, Deputy Leader, and Chief Whip. After the election results were declared on May 4, Mamata Banerjee called a meeting of winning MLAs at her Kalighat residence on May 6. On that day, MLAs raised their hands and agreed to the proposal that Mamata Banerjee would decide the leader, deputy leader, and chief whip in the Assembly.

Subsequently, Trinamool Congress announced Sovandeb Chattopadhyay as Leader of the Opposition, Nayna Bandyopadhyay and Asima Patra as deputy leaders, and Firhad Hakim as Chief Whip. A letter signed by Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee was sent to the Assembly but was not accepted.

The reason cited was that the election of the parliamentary party leader and office bearers must be done in a parliamentary party meeting, which was not followed. After the May 6 meeting, several MLAs told the media that Mamata Banerjee had been given the responsibility to decide. When the Speaker rejected Abhishek’s letter, MLAs were asked to sign minutes of the May 6 meeting during another meeting on May 19 at Kalighat. Several MLAs said they were made to sign the earlier minutes, leading to complications.

The CID, after taking over the probe, visited the houses of four MLAs, Nayna Bandyopadhyay, Kunal Ghosh, Tapas Maity, and Baharul Islam, to investigate the signature scandal. The CID also summoned Abhishek Banerjee on Monday in connection with the case, but he did not appear, citing health conditions.

–IANS

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