On Sunday, 19th July, the Calcutta High Court stopped further demolition of the office of Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee. The order granted him temporary relief at his Lok Sabha constituency office in Amtala, South 24 Parganas. The court directed all parties to maintain the status quo until the next hearing or until further orders.
The relief came just hours after Banerjee’s company, Leaps and Bounds, approached the High Court seeking urgent intervention against the demolition. The matter was mentioned before the bench of Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury after bulldozers were used to demolish the office, even though the petitioner claimed to have valid documents for the land.
Calcutta High Court orders halt in demolition of Abhishek Banerjee's officehttps://t.co/fLXFAapc5O
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) July 19, 2026
The court’s interim order means no further demolition work can be carried out at the site until the matter is heard again.
Banerjee accuses the police of acting illegally
The demolition has triggered a political row in West Bengal, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that the action was carried out in the presence of BJP leaders while the dispute was still pending before the High Court.
Reacting to the development, Abhishek Banerjee accused the West Bengal Police of violating the law and alleged that valuables were taken away from the office during the demolition.
“The lawlessness in Bengal is on full display. Despite Supreme Court and High Court rulings holding bulldozer demolitions unconstitutional, my Lok Sabha constituency office at Amtala was demolished yesterday,” Banerjee wrote on X.
He further alleged that videos showed police personnel carrying away laptops, printers, important documents, furniture and other office equipment along wth what he described as “BJP goons.”
Calling the incident “theft in uniform,” Banerjee claimed it was “not demolition” but an unlawful act carried out while the matter was still before the High Court. He also accused the police of showing “utter disregard for the rule of law.”
Court orders status quo until next hearing
According to the petition filed by Leaps and Bounds, the office was demolished despite the company possessing valid land-related documents. The plea sought immediate protection from the High Court against further action.
This is not the first legal battle connected to the office. Earlier, the Trinamool Congress had also approached the High Court after alleging that the party office was attacked following the Assembly election results. That matter had been listed before the bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, but was not taken up for hearing.
After Sunday’s urgent hearing, the Calcutta High Court directed that the present status at the site be maintained and ordered that no further demolition should take place until the next date of hearing, giving temporary relief to Abhishek Banerjee in the ongoing dispute.
Demolition began on Saturday
On Saturday, 18th July, the South 24 Parganas district administration demolished Banerjee’s office at Amtala after it was found to be constructed without an approved building plan and in violation of applicable rules.
No one is above the law.
— Locket Chatterjee (@me_locket) July 18, 2026
The alleged illegal five-storey office linked to Abhishek Banerjee in Amtala is being demolished after repeated notices reportedly went unanswered.
For years, the powerful believed rules were meant for everyone else. Today, accountability has arrived.… pic.twitter.com/QDEva8pES7
The operation began Saturday morning, with police and central forces cordoning off the office premises with guard rails. A bulldozer rolled into the premises early in the morning as a heavy police force sealed off the area to prevent any disturbance. The demolition began after the administration established a security cordon around the site.
According to officials, the district administration had issued its first notice on 30th June, seeking documents and explanations regarding approvals and permissions for the construction. A second notice followed on 7th July, directing Banerjee to appear before officials on 15th July and furnish the required documents.
