Tripura court summons TMC MP Abhishek in connection with 2021 case

Agartala: A local court in Tripura’s Khowai district has summoned Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee to appear on June 22 in connection with a case related to incidents following the 2021 Tripura assembly election.According to sources, the summons originated from a complaint lodged at Khowai Police Station. In Aug 2021, 12 TMC leaders, including Abhishek, were arrested for violating the Covid-19 curfew and booked under various provisions of the Epidemic Disease Act and Disaster Management Act. Abhishek was repeatedly ignoring the court notice for the past one year, the sources said.As conventional delivery methods proved ineffective, the court directed that the summons be served through legal channels via a court-appointed bailiff. Consequently, a bailiff from Alipore Court in West Bengal was assigned to carry out the task.The police were informed and necessary protocols were followed. Accompanied by officers from Kolkata’s Kalighat Police Station, the bailiff delivered the summons to an address in Kolkata associated with Abhishek, which is also the residence of former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.Reports suggest that efforts were made to present the notice directly to Abhishek. In case that proved unfeasible, there were instructions to affix the notice at the location and officially document the process. A staff member of the residence ultimately received the summons.This development marks a significant procedural step in addressing the legal issues surrounding post-election violence in Tripura. Abhishek has been directed to comply with the court’s order and appear before the Khowai court as summoned.