Kolkata police questioned TMC general secretary and member of parliament Abhishek Banerjee for five and half consecutive hours in the alleged illegal billboard
row on Tuesday. Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, appeared at the Shakespeare Sarani police station at 12:17 pm and left around 5:50 pm after being questioned in a case registered against him by Kolkata police for allegedly obstructing civic body officials and on-duty cops from performing their govt duty and allegedly physically assaulting the police personnel at his office. TMC MP was summoned to be questioned as part of the investigation. On being appeared at the police station, Banerjee has faced a total of 85 questions in five and a half hours of questioning. Sources say he has skipped many of those questions, which might be treated as non-cooperation with the investigation. According to sources, the TMC top leader was asked about the alleged unlawful incident, the persons involved in the alleged obstruction to the cops and the dangerously hanging billboard of "All India Trinamool Congress" which was put up on the rooftop, outside his office. The source says TMC MP was also asked about the identity of the persons allegedly involved in obstructing police personnel. The source indicates that Banerjee has chosen many questions to not answer. Source also tells Times Now, the TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee may be summoned for questioning again if the answers given today are found to be dissatisfying or discrepant by the investigating officers. On 27th August, officials from the Kolkata municipal corporation arrived at the office of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee at 9 Camac Street in Kolkata for the execution of the order issued by the Kolkata municipal corporation regarding the removal of alleged illegal hoarding styled as "All India Trinamool Congress," dangerously hanging from the roof outside his office. Shakespeare Sarani police station was requisited by the civic body authority for necessary assistance and protection of the officials. Kolkata police have claimed that "during execution of the lawful municipal order, the accused persons, namely Derek O'Brien, Abhishek Banerjee, Humayun Kabir, Baisanor Chattopadhyay and others along with their supporters, formed an unlawful assembly, obstructed and restrained the police personnel and KMC officials from entering the common area and discharging their lawful duties." Source in Kolkata police claimed, "The accused persons used criminal force and assault against on-duty police personnel, including lady police personnel and KMC officials." It was further alleged by the police that criminal force was used against a lady police personnel with intent to outrage her modesty, and that the accused persons, in furtherance of their common intention, threatened the public servants with false implication in criminal cases and consequences to their service, thereby intimidating and deterring them from performing their lawful duties. Following the incident, Shakespeare Sarani police station had registered a Suo-moto FIR against TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, former TMC MLA and retired IPS Humayun Kabir, former TMC councillor Baisanor Chattopadhyay and others under Sections 191(2)/191(3)/190/121(1)/74/3(5)/351(2) of BNS. A second FIR was also recorded based on the written complaint lodged by the Deputy Manager of Advertisement department at Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The civic body higher official accused Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Humayun Kabir, Baisanor Chattopadhyay, and other supporters of TMC of forming an unlawful assembly and physically assaulting the KMC officials and police personnel and obstructing seriously to discharge their official duties and used criminal force and assaulting upon the public servant, causing injuries. Source tells Times Now that, the municipal official also alleged, accused persons snatched official tools and equipments of KMC and illegally intimidated them. Subsequently, an FIR was registered against the accused persons under section of 191(2)/191(3)/190/121(1)/351(2)/303(2)/3(5) of BNS. The third FIR in this incident was registered on the written complaint of a police officer of Park Street police station. Source tells Times Now, on being informed about a disturbance, the officer had arrived at the office of Abhishek Banerjee along with his force. After the incident, the officer has alleged that, while assisting the KMC officials, some unknown persons allegedly obstructed the police personnel on the staircase and snatched the government issued walkie-talkie wireless set bearing No. LETL-1241 from the cop. He further alleged that when he tried to apprehend one of them, the persons allegedly assaulted, causing injuries to him and other cops. Accordingly, the written complaint of the police officer was treated as an FIR and a case was immediately launched under section of 304(2)/121(1) of BNS against the accused persons.
