Bengal: Police searches at TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee’s home trigger row

The West Bengal Police on Saturday conducted searches at the Kolkata home of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee in connection with an alleged financial fraud, PTI reported.

The searches, which took place for more than four hours, had begun at about 3 am at the Kalighat residence. It was not immediately clear whether any documents or materials were seized during the raid.

The news agency quoted officials as having declined to comment on the nature of the allegations or the evidence being sought in the case, which was registered in the Paschim Medinipur district.

The raid at Abhishek Banerjee’s home came as the Enforcement Directorate on Saturday conducted searches at premises linked to TMC MLA Madan Mitra as part of a money-laundering investigation into an alleged municipal recruitment scam.

After being informed about the searches, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee went to Abhishek Banerjee’s residence. Abhishek Banerjee is the nephew of Mamata Banerjee.

The TMC alleged that the police personnel broke open a lock and entered the premises to carry out the searches, PTI reported.

However, the police said that they repeatedly knocked on the doors but received no response, the news agency reported.

This came two days after the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department questioned Abhishek Banerjee in connection with an alleged forged-signatures case and amid a series of summons...

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