The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted interim protection from coercive action to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Abhishek Banerjee in a forgery case relating to the appointment of party’s leader in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.

Justice Kausik Chanda, however, asked Banerjee to appear before the CID by 6 PM today, as per a report by the PTI.

The Court also said that he will have to join the investigation as and when asked by the probe agency. 

Banerjee, the party's General Secretary, had approached the Court last week after some TMC MLAs alleged that their signatures on a resolution about the choice of Leader of Opposition were forged. 

The party is undergoing a split currently after it recently lost the Assembly elections to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)

Banerjee's counsel today urged the Court to protect him from arrest and also agreed to cooperate with the investigation. The Court acceded to the prayer and listed the matter for hearing after two weeks.