Signature forgery case: CID now questions TMC’s Firhad Hakim

2 min readJun 5, 2026 10:41 AM IST

The West Bengal CID on Thursday questioned TMC leader and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim in the alleged signature forgery case related to the Leader of Opposition selection process and collected his signature samples for investigation. (PTI Photo)

Days after serving notice to Abhishek Banerjee, the Crime Investigation Department team on Thursday evening visited the residence of TMC MLA and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim in connection with the signature forgery case.

According to CID sources, the agency questioned Hakim in the case, recorded his statement and took his sample signatures for investigative purposes.

TMC MLAs Nayana Bandyopadhyay, Kunal Ghosh, Baharul Islam, and Chandranath Sinha have already been questioned by the CID in the matter. Samples of their signature and handwriting were also collected.

The case pertains to alleged irregularities in the process for selecting the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly. The controversy centres around a meeting called by TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence, where discussions were held regarding the naming of the LoP.

The TMC legislative party had, in accordance with the rules, recently sent a letter to the Assembly Secretary declaring Ballygunge MLA Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the LoP. However, it was alleged that on the day the document was submitted, several TMC MLAs were not even present in the Assembly. This raised doubts on the authenticity of the signatures.

It was also alleged that there were discrepancies in MLA Nayana Bandyopadhyay’s signature, following which a complaint was filed at the Hare Street police station.

TMC’s second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee was also summoned at the CID office in connection with the case. However, after the assault at Sonarpur on Saturday, Abhishek skipped the appearance and sought further time from CID. He also pleaded to the High Court, seeking relief from any harsh action against him in this case.

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.

Experience

Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.

Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.

Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.

Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.

Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.

Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.

Education

Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.

Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.

Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.

Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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