Signgate: HC to hear Abhishek plea on CID call on June 10

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court is scheduled to hear Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee's petition challenging a CID summons and seeking protection from coercive action in a signature forgery case on June 10.The matter was listed before the single bench of Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) on Friday. However, owing to paucity of time, the court could not take up the case. Banerjee has been summoned to appear before the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhawan on June 8.The summons stems from a letter submitted by Trinamool to the assembly secretariat on May 19, nominating TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the party's Leader of Opposition. The letter, purportedly bearing the signatures of around 70 newly elected party MLAs, subsequently became the subject of controversy after allegations surfaced that several signatures had been forged. A complaint was then lodged at Hare Street police station, prompting an investigation by the CID.Banerjee had earlier skipped a summons issued by the agency for Monday, citing health reasons. He sought a few weeks' time to recover before appearing for questioning.