Kolkata: Residents of Harish Chatterjee Road in Kalighat, which was a VVIP zone until May 4, experienced a shocking surprise on Tuesday afternoon as unusual scenes unfolded. A 30-member CID team, accompanied by a large contingent of police and central forces, marched into former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's residence at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street.
Just a month ago, locals regained free access to the street for movement, which had previously been a barricaded zone when their VVIP neighbour was in power. On Tuesday, the sudden deployment of uniformed personnel transformed the neighbourhood into a centre of attention. Residents peered from balconies and windows, while passers-by and bikers slowed down to inquire about the commotion.
Many locals, surprised by the heavy police presence outside the former Chief Minister's home, pulled out their mobile phones to record videos and create social media reels. They were even more astonished to see Trinamool MLAs Madan Mitra and Kunal Ghosh sitting on chairs outside their party chief's address. MP Kalyan Banerjee, who also lives in the same neighbourhood, walked to the spot amidst the crowd.
“What has happened?” was the repeated question in the lane as curious onlookers gathered near the barricades set up in front of the search zone. As the CID team was leaving, some locals followed them to see if anything had been uncovered during the search. However, the CID officials made their way through the crowd silently. Despite the security buildup, police did not stop vehicular movement through the narrow lane, allowing traffic to continue under close monitoring.
An elderly neighbour of Mamata Banerjee said: “I have seen her rise from the grassroots level as I have been living here for nearly 60 years. After she became the Chief Minister, this area became a barricaded zone, and we had to answer to police queries after stepping out of home. Today, I witnessed the CID swooping down on her address. At a time when several members of her party are being handcuffed, we are all curious to know the outcome of this CID search.”
Some women, who are Trinamool supporters living in a nearby slum, alleged that their “Didi” was being harassed. “Why did they come for the search when she is not at home? This is harassment,” said a woman.
