CID knocks Abhishek Banerjee's door in Kolkata, TMC leader not at home

A team of four officials from the West Bengal Central Investigation Department (CID) arrived unexpectedly at 'Santiniketan', the official residence of Trinamool Congress (TMC) National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee, on Saturday afternoon.

The surprise visit marks the second time in less than a week that law enforcement personnel have descended upon the high-profile property, located on Harish Mukherjee Road in the Bhabanipore constituency. Just four days prior, a separate contingent from the Kolkata Police had similarly visited the same premises.

While the specific objective behind the state investigative agency's sudden action remains undisclosed, sources close to the development confirmed that Banerjee was not present at his residence when the CID arrived. In his absence, the four-member CID team extensively questioned a close associate of the parliamentarian present at the venue before departing.

As of Saturday evening, neither the CID top brass nor representatives for the Diamond Harbour MP have issued an official statement regarding the purpose or outcome of the interaction.

The political landscape in Kolkata was caught off guard on Monday when a detachment of six to ten Kolkata Police personnel made a surprise visit to the residence of Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee.

While authorities offered no official explanation for the operation, departing officers were observed carrying a computer monitor away from the premises. The movement fueled widespread speculation that the police were dismantling parts of the surveillance network around the property.

Specifically, the team is believed to have removed CCTV cameras originally installed to monitor external security feeds back when Banerjee was granted the elite Z+ security category—a privilege subsequently revoked by the state government following a recent shift in West Bengal's political power structure.

Although Banerjee did not say a word on the visit, Veteran Trinamool Congress MP, Sougata Roy, said it was part of a political vengeance.

“This is part of a political vendetta. Raids are being conducted at the homes of TMC leaders across various parts of Bengal. It is not even known what the specific allegations against Abhishek Banerjee are... Abhishek Banerjee cannot be held responsible without any factual basis. However, I am not surprised, as this is the modus operandi of the BJP throughout the entire state,” Roy told ANI.

A week ago, Banerjee received a notice from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for 17 properties linked to him, including his official residence, over alleged unauthorised construction. The civic body had granted Banerjee a seven-day deadline to respond to the notices, which expired Monday.

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