Abhishek Banerjee Named in FIRs After Birthday Night Clashes in Kolkata; Two Arrested

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has been named in a police FIR following clashes during his birthday celebrations in Kolkata’s Kalighat area, with two men arrested for allegedly assaulting an on-duty police officer.

Police have registered four FIRs at Kalighat police station following the violence that broke out between Trinamool Congress workers and BJP supporters during the midnight celebrations of Banerjee’s 39th birthday.

The two arrested men have been accused of slapping a police officer. Police are examining CCTV footage from the area to establish the sequence of events and identify others involved in the clashes.

Four FIRs Filed, Banerjee Named in Counter-Complaint

According to police, two of the four FIRs were registered on complaints filed by officers over the alleged assault on police personnel. One of these FIRs explicitly names Abhishek Banerjee.

The other two cases stem from complaints filed by the rival political camps. One FIR was lodged against unidentified BJP workers following a complaint by Banerjee, while a counter-complaint by BJP workers named the Trinamool MP and several others.

Banerjee has not issued a statement on the incident so far.

Mamata, Abhishek Allege Attack on Residence

The clashes reportedly took place between 2 am and 3.30 am on Saturday, when Trinamool workers had gathered near Banerjee’s residence in Kalighat to celebrate his birthday.

Earlier, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee staged a protest at his residence, alleging that his house and office had been targeted.

Abhishek Banerjee accused a group of people he described as "BJP goons" of attacking the premises after conducting reconnaissance in the area for two days.

Separate Complaint Over Banerjee's Convoy

In a separate development, police have also registered a case against the Diamond Harbour MP under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Motor Vehicles Act following a complaint by Rajiv Sarkar, a resident of Baguiati.

Sarkar alleged that Banerjee's convoy repeatedly violated road safety regulations, claiming that security personnel travelled dangerously while hanging onto the exterior of moving vehicles.

The complaint invoked Section 123 of the Motor Vehicles Act, which prohibits passengers from travelling while hanging onto the outside of a moving vehicle, and Section 184, which deals with dangerous driving.

Police have also pointed to instances of security personnel standing on the external footrests of Banerjee's vehicle while it was in motion.

ED and CBI Probes Add to Legal Challenges

The latest police cases come amid other legal challenges facing the Trinamool Congress leader. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are also investigating him in connection with alleged corruption cases.

Banerjee is additionally facing an ongoing probe into a signature mismatch.

Separately, the Madhya Pradesh High Court recently withdrew interim protection granted to him in a defamation case filed by Akash Vijayvargiya, son of BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya.

His outreach programme, Sebashray, in the Diamond Harbour constituency has also faced corruption allegations.