Like on earlier occasions, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) activated itself with full alacrity, months ahead of the general elections. This time, it has sent a notice to senior Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien and descending at the residence of an ageing party leader Manik Majumdar for questioning him on how the proceeds from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s paintings were utilised.

Both O’Brien and Majumdar are official account holders of Trinamool Congress mouthpiece Jago Bangla.

According to CBI sources, the TMC Leader in Rajya Sabha has been asked to appear before the Agency by the third week of this month with relevant documents detailing transactions done in the respective accounts.

Party sources quoting the Trinamool MP said though he had heard about the said notice he was not in the receipt of it as yet and would be able to dwell on the same after going through it. O’Brien had failed to respond to earlier summons on account of his preoccupation in Parliament, party sources said.

Meanwhile, a group of CBI’s anti-corruption officials on Thursday descended at Majumdar’s residence at Kalighat for questioning him on the links between the Chief Minister’s paintings and the party newspaper. The CBI team had been “investigating the route of chit fund money in various directions so as to the find out the larger conspiracy angle as has been directed by the Supreme Court of India,” Agency sources said.

Majumdar’s statements were recorded on Thursday, sources said, adding they will return to him for further queries if required.

Curiously BJP president Amit Shah had on Tuesday raised the issue in a public rally from Kanthi in East Midnapore wondering “the reason behind some people purchasing Banerjee’s paintings for crores of rupees,” with a conclusion that the chit fund bosses expected full immunity from legal action “as they have the full protection of the policeman.”