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The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Saturday (June 20, 2026) questioned veteran Trinamool Congress leader and MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay in the Assembly signature forgery case.
He was the party’s archetypal prime arsenic the Leader of the Opposition before a bulk of the MLAs sided with enactment rebel Ritabrata Banerjee.
The State Police had filed a archetypal accusation study (FIR) aft the 2 MLAs, Mr. Ritabrata and Sandipan Saha, submitted a ailment to the Assembly Speaker, alleging that their signatures were forged successful the missive nominating Mr. Chattopadhyay arsenic the Leader of the Opposition. The CID began the probe based connected this FIR.
The CID officials reached Mr. Chattopadhyay’s residence in Bhabanipur on Saturday greeting and questioned him. “I person cooperated 200%. You tin inquire the officials if I have... And I volition proceed to cooperate successful the future,” he told mediapersons.
He said helium volition not remark connected the probe process due to the fact that the contented is sub judice.
‘Wrong association’
BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar said the CID was bound to question Mr. Chattopadhyay because the missive declaring him arsenic the LoP is astatine the centre of the controversy. “We besides consciousness bad. Sobhan Babu is a very elder person who is respected successful the Bengal governmental circles. His association with the incorrect people have brought this time upon him,” Mr. Majumdar said.
However, Mr. Chattopadhyay alleged that the MLAs who complained to the Speaker were themselves responsible for forging the signatures. He claimed that each Trinamool MLA, but one, was present erstwhile the solution finalising his sanction for the Opposition leader’s station was taken up.
Based connected that resolution, enactment wide caput Abhishek Banerjee sent a missive to the Speaker finalising Mr. Chattopadhyay arsenic the Leader of the Opposition successful the Assembly. He himself has been questioned by the CID regarding his engagement successful the case. Officials person besides searched the premises of enactment chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s Kalighat residence, which besides serves arsenic a Trinamool office.
Officials person besides questioned different Trinamool MLAs specified arsenic Nayana Bandhopadhyay and Firhad Hakim.
This contention created a large rift successful the party, with the Trinamool expelling some Mr. Saha and Mr. Ritabrata from the party. However, they claimed that astatine slightest 58 Trinamool MLAs person sided with them to signifier a caller faction of the “original” Trinamool. Mr. Ritabrata was aboriginal selected arsenic the LoP by the rebel leaders.
