Kolkata, September 11 (Daily Kiran) : The Calcutta High Court granted relief to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee on September 11, 2026, by placing an interim stay on a notice from the West Bengal Fire Services Department. This notice had ordered Banerjee to vacate his office located on Camac Street in Kolkata.
The Fire Services Department issued the evacuation notice on September 4, citing non-compliance with fire safety regulations. The notice specifically pointed to six deficiencies in the fire safety system on the seventh and eighth floors of the building, where Banerjee’s office is situated, and demanded a written response within 48 hours.
In response, TMC challenged the notice in the Calcutta High Court. The case was presented before Justice Krishna Rao, who, after hearing arguments, imposed an interim stay on the notice until September 16. The court is expected to deliver a verdict on that date.
Kishore Dutta, representing the TMC and a former Advocate General of West Bengal, argued that the notice was politically motivated. He pointed out that only the seventh and eighth floors were deemed unsafe, where Banerjee’s office is located.
Conversely, Surjit Nath Mitra, the current Advocate General of West Bengal, contended that the fire alarms on those floors were non-operational, and the number of fire sprinklers was significantly lower than on other floors.
The building’s owner, lawyer Rama Devi Goyenka, informed the court that residents on the seventh and eighth floors had established a cafeteria without prior approval from the owner. Following the hearing, Justice Rao’s bench maintained the interim stay on the evacuation notice until a ruling is made.
Tensions on Camac Street escalated on August 27 when employees of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by police, attempted to remove illegal billboards from Banerjee’s office. TMC workers, led by Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, and other party leaders, strongly opposed the move, resulting in a scuffle between the police and TMC activists.
The Kolkata police have filed three FIRs against TMC workers, accusing them of assaulting on-duty police officers and attempting to undermine the dignity of a female officer. Among the named individuals in two of the FIRs are Banerjee, O’Brien, and other TMC leaders, with 14 arrests made so far. The police have already interrogated Banerjee, O’Brien, and Banerjee’s personal assistant, Sumit Roy, regarding the incidents.
Leave a Comment