The Calcutta High Court on Friday extended interim protection to TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee from coercive action till July 17 in a signature forgery case regarding the party's choice of the leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. The interim protection was extended by Justice Suvra Ghosh since the judge before whose court the matter is to be taken up is at present holding court at the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench. Justice Ghosh extended the order till July 17 after Banerjee's lawyer mentioned the matter, as the interim protection granted by Justice Kausik Chanda was expiring on Friday. She directed that the matter would be placed for hearing again before the regular bench on July 13, and that the conditions for granting the interim protection by the coordinate bench will continue till further orders. Banerjee appeared before the CID at its headquarters Bhabani Bhaban here on June 11 for questioning in the case as directed by Justice Chanda that day. While granting interim protection from coercive action to Banerjee for three weeks, Justice Chanda had directed the TMC MP from Diamond Harbour to meet the investigation agency thereafter as and when required, with 24-hour advance notice. The CID is investigating a complaint filed with the Assembly Secretariat by two rebel TMC MLAs alleging that their signatures were forged on the party's resolution appointing Ballygunge MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay as the leader of the opposition. The assembly secretariat filed an FIR with the Kolkata Police over the complaint by the two MLAs -- Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha -- and the probe was later transferred to the CID by the state's Home secretary. The Diamond Harbour MP had earlier been summoned by the CID thrice, but did not appear before the investigation agency citing different reasons, according to the state's lawyer.