Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee appeared at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in Kolkata on Wednesday for questioning in connection with a billboard installed on the roof of his Camac Street office building, according to a report by The Statesman. He reached the police station at around 11 am after receiving a notice from investigators.
Banerjee had earlier been summoned to appear on Monday but did not attend. According to sources cited in the report, he sought a 48-hour extension from the police by email. Police subsequently visited his residence to serve a notice directing him to appear on Wednesday. He appeared at the station after receiving the notice.
The case relates to a clash on August 27 involving police personnel, Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials and Banerjee’s supporters during an attempt to remove the billboard from the Camac Street building. The billboard carried the Trinamool Congress name and its twin-flower symbol. Police allegedly attempted to remove it after it was claimed to have been installed illegally and to pose a safety risk to people passing below.
The report said Banerjee’s supporters later installed another billboard at the same location carrying the party name and symbol. Shakespeare Sarani Police Station registered three First Information Reports in connection with the events of August 27.
Banerjee had previously appeared at the police station on September 1 after being summoned in connection with the Camac Street clashes. Investigators later issued another summons for questioning specifically in the billboard case.
The police had also attempted to serve a notice on Banerjee on October 7, but were reportedly told that he was out of town and that no one was available to receive it. The officers returned without serving the notice. Banerjee had travelled to Delhi to attend an opposition INDIA bloc protest seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision exercise and returned to Kolkata on Saturday.
The latest questioning follows the police’s efforts to secure Banerjee’s appearance after the earlier summons and the subsequent service of a notice at his residence. The report did not state whether the questioning had concluded or whether investigators had announced any further action.
