Trinamool billboard row: Kolkata Police serve fresh summons to Derek O’Brien (Lead)

Kolkata, Aug 31 (IANS) Kolkata Police on Monday served a fresh notice to Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien for interrogation in connection with FIRs filed over the removal of an illegal billboard from the roof of Abhishek Banerjee’s party office on Camac Street in Central Kolkata.

In the fresh notice, served by hand by the cops of the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in the afternoon at O’Brien’s residence on Prince Anwar Shah Road in South Kolkata, he has been asked to be present at the police station by noon on Wednesday (September 2).

Incidentally, Sumit Roy, the personal assistant of Trinamool Congress’ general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, has been summoned for interrogation in the same matter at the same time on Wednesday.

Abhishek Banerjee has been asked to appear at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in the matter by noon on Tuesday (September 1).

As per the earlier interrogation notice served to O’Brien by the Kolkata Police, the Rajya Sabha member was supposed to be present at the said police station by noon on Monday. However, he skipped that appearance and instead sent a letter to the city police seeking seven days to appear.

The Kolkata Police, after receiving the letter, served him a fresh interrogation notice, and did not accept his plea for a seven-day reprieve.

Tension broke out on Camac Street on August 27 after Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) staff, accompanied by police personnel, reached Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office to remove the illegal billboard.

However, KMC staff and police personnel faced stiff resistance from party activists led by Abhishek Banerjee, O’Brien and other Trinamool Congress leaders. Scuffles broke out between the cops and the party activists.

In the three FIRs filed at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, the city police have accused the Trinamool Congress activists of not only assaulting the on-duty cops but also attempting to outrage the modesty of a female police officer.

In two of the three FIRs filed in the matter, Banerjee, O’Brien and other Trinamool Congress leaders, such as Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee, have been named. The police have arrested 14 people in this connection so far.

–IANS

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