KOLKATA: Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday skipped the state CID’s third summons in the alleged signature forgery case, citing prior engagements in Delhi.

He also said his appeal against the case is before the Calcutta high court.

Earlier, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had directed Banerjee to appear before it by 5 pm on Tuesday, stating that there was little ground to grant him further time after repeated requests for adjournment.The latest notice was issued after Banerjee failed to appear before the agency in connection with the ongoing signature "forgery" investigation.According to officials, this is the third time the Trinamool leader has avoided appearing before the CID in the case.Banerjee, who was in Delhi on Monday to attend the INDIA bloc meeting along with former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, had earlier written to the CID seeking additional time.In his letter, he cited an ongoing hearing in the Calcutta High Court and his presence in the national capital as reasons for his inability to appear, requesting a fresh date for questioning.

A CID team had also visited his Kalighat residence on Monday evening. Finding the main gate locked, officials conducted videography of the premises before serving the third summons, granting him 24 hours to appear before investigators.The investigation in the signature forgery case is currently underway, while further developments are awaited.