Calcutta High Court Halts Demolition of Abhishek Banerjee's Constituency Office

The Calcutta High Court on Sunday ordered a temporary halt to the demolition of a building in Amtala, South 24 Parganas, which Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee uses as his constituency office. Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, holding a special sitting, directed the West Bengal government to maintain status quo on the demolition until the end of July.

The court also ordered the state government to submit all documents related to the building, which is reportedly owned by 'Leaps and Bounds' Company. Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour MP, is the CEO of 'Leaps and Bounds', according to the Enforcement Directorate in a separate matter.

The demolition drive was initiated by the South 24 Parganas district administration on Saturday, citing that the structure was built without an approved building plan and in violation of applicable rules. A senior official stated that the building was unauthorised.

Banerjee, however, claimed that the building was legally constructed on purchased land after obtaining all necessary permissions. He said the office served as his constituency office for over a decade. 'Leaps and Bounds' subsequently challenged the demolition before the High Court, leading to the interim order.

The matter is scheduled to be heard again before a regular bench after the status quo period ends.