Kolkata, September 2026 : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday cautioned that an interim stay on the demolition of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) office linked to party general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee at Amtala in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district may not be extended if his counsel fails to come prepared for arguments at the next hearing.
The warning came from a single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh, who expressed displeasure over repeated requests for additional time by Abhishek Banerjee’s counsel to present arguments in the case concerning the proposed demolition of the office.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the counsel representing Banerjee, who is also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, sought more time to make submissions. Justice Ghosh expressed dissatisfaction with the repeated adjournment requests and cautioned the legal team about further delays.
The court scheduled the next hearing for September 22 and made it clear that if Banerjee’s counsel was not adequately prepared to argue the matter on that date, the interim protection against demolition would not be extended.
The legal dispute began after a complaint was filed by Sushant Mondal on May 17, alleging that the office at Amtala had been constructed illegally. Acting on the complaint, the state administration initiated action against the structure.
A portion of the office was demolished on July 18, with demolition activity resuming the following day. The Calcutta High Court subsequently intervened and granted an interim stay against further demolition.
The office is registered in the name of Leaps & Bounds Private Limited, a corporate entity linked to the Banerjee family. The demolition notice issued by the administration was also addressed to the company.
The TMC leadership, including the faction led by Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, has alleged that the administration initiated the demolition process without providing adequate prior notice. The party has also questioned the basis on which the action was undertaken and alleged that the authorities did not provide the office's occupants an opportunity to present their side before beginning the demolition.
The dispute has consequently become a politically sensitive matter, with the ruling TMC raising questions over the state administration's action against the office associated with one of its senior leaders.
The High Court, after considering submissions from both sides, had earlier granted interim protection against the demolition. The court's latest direction keeps that protection in place for the time being but makes its continuation dependent on the progress of the arguments at the next hearing.
The September 22 hearing is therefore expected to be significant, as the court will hear the substantive arguments concerning the legality of the demolition action and determine whether the interim protection should continue.
