Calcutta High Court Stays Demolition of Abhishek Banerjee’s Office

Cacutta, July 20 : The Calcutta High Court on Sunday directed authorities to maintain the status quo on the demolition of a five storey building housing Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee’s constituency office in Diamond Harbour, providing temporary relief until the matter is heard again.

A special bench headed by Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury ordered that no further demolition activity should be carried out at the Amtala property in South 24 Parganas district. The interim protection will remain in force until the case is listed before the regular bench or until the end of July, whichever comes first.

The court’s intervention followed a petition filed by Leaps and Bounds Private Limited, the company associated with the premises. According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Abhishek Banerjee serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the company in connection with an unrelated investigation.

Court Grants Interim Protection

During the special hearing, the High Court instructed the state authorities to preserve the existing condition of the building while legal issues surrounding the demolition are examined in detail. The court observed that the dispute required further consideration by the regular bench before any irreversible action could be taken.

However, the bench declined to entertain another plea made by the petitioner, which alleged that political workers and unidentified individuals had entered the premises and removed important documents while police personnel failed to intervene. The court noted that the petition did not indicate that any formal complaint regarding the alleged incident had been lodged with the police, making it difficult to grant relief on that aspect.

Demolition Drive Began on Saturday

The demolition operation was initiated by the South 24 Parganas district administration on Saturday after officials concluded that the structure had allegedly been constructed without an approved building plan and violated applicable building regulations.

District authorities maintained that the action followed an administrative review of the property’s legal status and compliance with construction norms. According to officials, the demolition was carried out after following the prescribed procedure under relevant local regulations.

Banerjee Rejects Allegations

Abhishek Banerjee, who represents the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, strongly rejected the allegations made by the administration. He asserted that the building functions as his constituency office and was constructed legally on land acquired through proper procedures.

The TMC leader further claimed that all required permissions had been secured before construction commenced and insisted that the administrative action was unjustified.

Petitioner Questions Due Process

Representing Leaps and Bounds Private Limited, senior advocate Kishore Dutta argued before the High Court that the authorities had failed to provide essential documents connected with the demolition proceedings.

According to the petitioner, neither the original complaint that triggered the action nor the formal demolition order had been supplied. The counsel submitted that the company was denied an opportunity to present its objections before such a significant decision was implemented.

He contended that principles of natural justice require authorities to provide affected parties with adequate notice, copies of relevant documents, and a fair opportunity to be heard before ordering demolition of any structure.

State Government Defends Administrative Action

Appearing on behalf of the West Bengal government, Advocate General Surojit Nath Mitra defended the district administration’s actions. He informed the court that the petitioner had prior knowledge of the proceedings through notices issued by the authorities.

The state also argued that the petitioner had failed to establish that the building had been constructed strictly in accordance with an approved building plan sanctioned by the South 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad. According to the government, compliance with building regulations remains a key requirement for the legality of any construction.

Matter to Be Heard by Regular Bench

While granting temporary protection, the High Court clarified that the dispute would now be placed before the regular bench for detailed examination. The interim order ensures that the current condition of the building remains unchanged until further judicial directions are issued.

The upcoming hearing is expected to focus on whether due process was followed by the district administration, whether the building possesses all necessary approvals, and whether the demolition action complied with applicable legal provisions.

The case has drawn considerable political attention because the property serves as the constituency office of one of the Trinamool Congress’s senior leaders. The High Court’s interim order has temporarily paused the demolition, leaving the final outcome dependent on the regular bench’s examination of the facts, official records, and legal arguments presented by both sides.