Kolkata, August 31: Derek O’Brien, a member of the Rajya Sabha from the Trinamool Congress, did not appear for questioning at the Shakespeare Sarani police station on Monday. This inquiry was related to an FIR concerning the removal of an illegal billboard from the roof of Abhishek Banerjee’s party office on Camac Street in central Kolkata.
O’Brien sent a letter to the Kolkata police through his lawyer, requesting an extension of seven days to appear for questioning. In the letter, his lawyer stated that O’Brien received the notice at the last moment, leaving him insufficient time to consult with his legal advisors.
Confirming this development, a police officer stated that a second notice would be sent to O’Brien, and the process has already begun.
On Sunday, police officers from the Shakespeare Sarani police station visited O’Brien’s residence on Prince Anwar Shah Road in South Kolkata and handed a notice for questioning to one of his associates. He was instructed to appear at the police station by Monday afternoon.
In addition to O’Brien, police have also issued notices to Abhishek Banerjee and his personal assistant, Sumit Roy, for questioning. Banerjee is required to appear by September 1, while Roy’s appearance is scheduled for September 2.
Meanwhile, Banerjee’s lawyer emailed the Kolkata police on Sunday night, claiming that the three FIRs related to the notices were not uploaded on the city police’s website.
The city police responded, rejecting these claims and asserting that all three FIRs had been uploaded and copies were available.
Tensions escalated on August 27 when Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) employees, accompanied by police, attempted to remove the illegal billboard from Banerjee’s office on Camac Street. They faced strong opposition from party workers led by Banerjee, O’Brien, and other Trinamool Congress leaders, resulting in clashes between the police and party activists.
The three FIRs filed at the Shakespeare Sarani police station accuse Trinamool Congress workers of not only assaulting on-duty police officers but also attempting to undermine the dignity of a female police officer.
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