Court orders immediate halt to demolition at TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s Amtala office

The advocate representing Leaps and Bounds complained that items were being taken away from the building without any documentation and in contravention of the due procedure.

3 min readKolkataUpdated: Jul 19, 2026 05:57 PM IST

The Calcutta High Court ordered the police to provide protection to the couple on their marriage day, July 29. (File Photo)

The Calcutta High Court Sunday directed the administration to put a stop to all demolition work at the Amtala office of Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee till the next date of hearing.

During Sunday’s proceedings, Senior Advocate Kishore Datta, representing Leaps and Bounds that owns the property, submitted, “We were not given a hearing after serving of notice, the minimum I can get is an opportunity to respond to their allegations. They went and demolished it before I could take any steps… There can be no hearing without me knowing the allegation against me.”

Datta further alleged that items were being taken away from the building without any documentation and in contravention of the due procedure.

Responding to Datta, Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra said, “They say the notice went on 30th June. It is not a layperson who doesn’t understand things. The hearing was fixed on the 15th (of July), they said a lawyer had attended. I really do not know. They said the notice was not addressed to Leaps and Bounds.”

After hearing both sides, the single bench of Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury observed, “The state contends that the petitioner has not approached the court with clean hands and did not have sanction to make the construction… this matter is for consideration of the regular bench on Monday. In the instant case, an enquiry was conducted by the executive engineer on the MPP Office, Diamond Harbour, situated at Amtala. The report as disclosed, demonstrates that the enquiry did not find any documents regarding the sanction of documents for the present property, decision to carry on demolition was on the basis that there was no sanction plan issued by the zila parishad under the relevant statute.

“Going by the disclosure, it is clear that the petitioners were not given an opportunity for hearing after notice for demolition was issued. Status quo with regards the nature, character, and possession of the structure shall be maintained till end of July 2026 or till the matter is taken up…”

Three bulldozers were deployed to raze the five‑storey building on Saturday. Over 17 trunks of documents were taken out, and trucks were loaded with chairs, tables, and laptops found inside the building. Later in the evening, Banerjee had called the move a political vendetta and sought an urgent hearing to stop the demolition.

Tanusree Bose

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage. Experience Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness. Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances. Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including: State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies. Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues. Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More

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