{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Police Storm Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat Home at 3 AM Over 'Broken Lock', as ED Raids 7 Madan Mitra Properties",
  "summary": "After the assembly poll defeat, the squeeze on TMC leaders is tightening—police descended on Abhishek Banerjee's Kolkata home before dawn on Saturday, drawing Mamata Banerjee to the spot, while the ED searched seven premises linked to Madan Mitra.",
  "content": "The drubbing in the West Bengal assembly election has done more than dent the Trinamool Congress at the ballot box—it now appears to have opened the door to a wave of legal and investigative scrutiny against its senior figures. In a single day, two of the party's prominent names found themselves at the centre of separate actions: national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, and MLA and former minister Madan Mitra. For Abhishek the pressure is coming from two sides at once: murmurs of discontent within the party over his style of functioning, and the unrelenting gaze of the police and probe agencies.\n\nA Raid That Began at 3 in the Morning\nWhile much of Kolkata was still asleep early on Saturday, a large police team arrived around 3 AM at Abhishek Banerjee's Patuapara residence in the Kalighat area. According to police officers, the operation stemmed from a case registered at a police station in West Medinipur district. Three forces were on the ground together—personnel from the Salboni police station in West Medinipur, Kolkata Police, and central forces. The roles were split: the central forces took up position outside the house while police officers went in to conduct the search.\n\nAllegation of a Broken Lock, a Search Lasting Four Hours\nThe TMC has alleged that the police team broke open the lock to get inside and then carried out a sweeping search of the entire residence. Abhishek Banerjee himself made the same claim—that the police forced the lock, entered, and went through every single room, yet offered no clear explanation for the action. The operation reportedly stretched on for more than four hours, with police personnel remaining inside the premises until morning. Through it all, the party levelled serious accusations against both the police and the central forces.\n\nMamata Banerjee Rushed to the Scene\nThe moment word of the raid reached her, former chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee made her way to Abhishek Banerjee's home without delay. Officials, however, did not spell out exactly which case the search was tied to. It is worth noting that not long ago the West Bengal CID had questioned Abhishek in an alleged forged-signature case linked to the assembly, and that various investigating agencies have been issuing him summons one after another. That backdrop is why the party is branding this latest move an act of political vendetta.\n\nED Descends on 7 of Madan Mitra's Premises\nAt around the same time, the investigative net closed in on another of Mamata Banerjee's trusted associates. As part of its probe into the municipal recruitment scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided seven premises connected to TMC MLA and former minister Madan Mitra. The inquiry has so far indicated that Mitra allegedly took bribes—in cash and in gold, routed through middlemen—in exchange for securing the appointment of ineligible candidates across various municipalities, the Kamarhati municipality in particular. Sources say his name has surfaced in connection with more than 125 suspected and allegedly illegal appointments. The ED is now also examining the money trail in the recruitment scam and the roles played by the other accused.\n\nWhat this means for you\nWhat this means for you:\n\n• Across India: Heightened agency action against opposition leaders soon after a power shift reignites the national debate over whether such probes are lawful or political, shaping how governments and opposition parties deal with each other everywhere.\n• In West Bengal: As the municipal recruitment scam probe advances, the outcome matters directly to the thousands of jobseekers and families whose appointments and recruitment processes are caught up in these alleged illegal hirings.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/politics/tarake-3-baje-abhisheka-banarji-ke-kalighata-avasa-para-pulisa-tala-torane-ka-ar-320",
  "category": "Politics",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-13",
  "tags": [
    "Abhishek Banerjee raid",
    "Madan Mitra ED",
    "Trinamool Congress",
    "municipal recruitment scam",
    "Mamata Banerjee",
    "West Bengal politics",
    "Kalighat raid"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}