South 24 Paraganas38 minutes ago
The Calcutta High Court on Sunday stayed the demolition of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s five-storey office in Amtala, South 24 Parganas, and directed authorities to maintain the status quo until further orders. The court also sought all records related to the construction of the building before deciding on the matter.
High Court orders immediate demolition stay
The interim relief came during an urgent holiday hearing before Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury after the petitioner, Leaps and Bounds, challenged the demolition drive that began on Saturday.
Court seeks complete construction approval records
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate Kishore Dutta argued that the building owner had not been given a proper opportunity to be heard before the demolition commenced. He submitted that although a notice was issued on June 30 and a hearing was held on July 15, the petitioner received intimation only on July 8, leaving insufficient time to respond. He further contended that demolition was initiated without communicating the final order.
Petitioner alleges inadequate hearing before action
The petitioner’s counsel urged the court to examine the provisions of the West Bengal Panchayat Act, arguing that statutory procedure requiring adequate notice and a fair hearing had not been followed. The court asked to see the demolition order, while counsel for Abhishek Banerjee submitted that the order had not been served on them and that the demolition was being carried out in the presence of police and central forces.
State cites unauthorized building plan violations
Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra, appearing for the state, argued that the notice issued on June 30 clearly mentioned the legal provisions involved and that the building had been constructed without an approved plan. He maintained that the petitioner had sufficient opportunity to respond.
Court refuses seized items return plea
After hearing both sides, Justice Basu Chowdhury said the court would examine the relevant documents and referred the matter to the regular bench. Until then, the court directed that the demolition work remain suspended and ordered authorities to maintain the status quo. The High Court also directed the state to produce all records relating to the construction.
However, the court declined the Trinamool Congress’s plea seeking the return of materials seized by the police from the premises, observing that it would not interfere with the earlier police action at this stage.
Regular bench to hear matter next
The demolition drive began on Saturday after authorities alleged that the Amtala office had been constructed without valid building plans and approvals. Police and central forces cordoned off the area before bulldozers were deployed to raze parts of the structure.
Following the demolition, Abhishek Banerjee had said he would challenge the action legally. Sunday’s interim order has temporarily halted further demolition pending the High Court’s consideration of the case.
