West Bengal: Police search TMC MLA Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata residence, ED to question him on Monday

Kolkata: A three-hour marathon raid and search operations was conducted at Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at Kalighat Road residence from early Saturday morning by Salboni Police Station under West Midnapore District Police, as they were looking for Banerjee’s executive assistant, Sumit Roy.

A team from Salboni Police Station, led by a deputy superintendent ranking officer, accompanied by the central armed police forces (CAPF) had reached Abhishek Banerjee’s residence at the wee hours of around 3AM on Saturday. A team from the local Kalighat Police Station had arrived at Kalighat.

Read more: 'They broke open the lock...': Bengal Police raid Abhishek Banerjee's residence for over 4 hours


After waiting for over two hours at the gate of Abhishek Banerjee’s residence, the police team broke open the lock of the entrance gate with the help of the Disaster Management Department and entered the residence of Abhishek Banerjee, sources said.

Abhishek Banerjee said the entire residence was searched. However, Sumit Roy was not found at his residence.

The raid and search operations were aimed to find Banerjee’s personal assistant Sumit Roy, who is presently absconding, in connection with a case filed against him at Salboni Police Station. However, the details of the case in relation to Roy were not divulged by the state police.

After conducting raids and search and operations for over two hours, the joint team of security forces left Abhishek Banerjee’s residence. Later Abhishek Banerjee accused of police excesses and told media persons that the security personnel entered his residence by breaking the lock of the entrance gate.

The police team knocked at the entrance gate of Banerjee’s residence repeatedly but after not getting any response, the joint team of Salboni Police Station, Kalighat Police and CAPF broke open the locks after waiting for in front of the residence for a long time.

Meanwhile, on getting the news of the raid and search operations, Mamata Banerjee, rushed to Abhsihek's residence from her residence on Harish Chatterjee Street.

Abhishek Banerjee will have to face interrogation by two investigating agencies in three different cases for three consecutive days-- June 14, June 15 and June 16.

On June 14, Abhishek will have to appear at the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police and face interrogation in connection with the case of mismatches in the signatures of some Trinamool legislators on a resolution in the West Bengal assembly reserved for the opposition bench.

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 in the matter on June 3.

Read more: Abhishek Banerjee questioned for over five hours by CID

Finally, on Tuesday (June 16) Abhishek is supposed to appear at the CID headquarters to face interrogation in connection with a case of inciting violence and threatening Union Home Minister Amit Shah at a public rally during the recent assembly polls in the state.

Trinamool Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh wrote in her X Handle:

"3 AM Saturday June 13.
Police arrive at Abhishek Banerjee’s @abhishekaitc’s Kalighat residence in Kolkata.
5 AM: Disaster Management team called in to break open locks.
6:30 AM: Search begins, from second floor to terrace, lasting 90 minutes.
Outcome? Seizure report says : NIL.
No evidence. No wrongdoing. NOTHING.
Just political vendetta, intimidation and mental torture. Operation Lotus is targeting every leader who refuses to surrender to the BJP’s diktat. Disgraceful attack on an opposition leader. VINDICTIVE, CONNIVING, scumbag LOW LIFE tactics. SHAME."