Daijiworld Media Network – Kolkata

Kolkata, Aug 30: Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee has been served a police notice in connection with a scuffle that broke out during the removal of an allegedly unauthorised party billboard from his office in central Kolkata.

The notice was delivered to Banerjee at his residence late on Saturday evening. Police have asked him to appear before the investigating officer at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station on Tuesday, September 1, at noon, according to officials. A senior Kolkata Police officer, however, told reporter that Banerjee had been asked to appear on Monday, making the exact appearance date unclear in reports.

The case relates to an incident on Thursday at Banerjee's office on Camac Street, where Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) officials, accompanied by police personnel, arrived to dismantle a large billboard bearing TMC signage.

Police said private security guards posted at the office, along with supporters and some party leaders, allegedly tried to prevent the police and civic officials from entering the building and removing the billboard. The confrontation resulted in a scuffle between the two sides.

The billboard, mounted on an iron structure on the top floor of the building and facing the road, was described by civic authorities as unauthorised. KMC personnel eventually dismantled it after police entered the premises.

Three FIRs have been registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in connection with the incident. Banerjee has been named as an accused in two of the FIRs, while senior TMC leaders including Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien and former MLA Humayun Kabir have also been named, officials said.

Police have also issued a notice to O'Brien. Fourteen people have so far been arrested in connection with the incident, with the latest arrest taking the total to 14. Police are examining CCTV footage and other evidence as part of the investigation.

O'Brien, who was present at the spot during the operation, has denied reports that private guards resisted the officials. He described such reports as “fake news” and said the guards were deployed at the entrance of the building as part of their duty.

O'Brien also alleged that police entered the office with an “illegal” notice and assaulted senior party leaders while heckling supporters and office staff.

Banerjee had also questioned the legality of the action and objected to the manner in which police and civic officials attempted to enter the office. The TMC has criticised the operation, while authorities have maintained that the billboard was unauthorised and that officials were carrying out their duties.

The police investigation is continuing, with officials examining the circumstances surrounding the confrontation, the alleged obstruction of government officials and the other allegations contained in the FIRs.

The incident has triggered a fresh political confrontation in West Bengal, with the TMC questioning the manner in which the billboard was removed and the police proceeding with the criminal investigation against party leaders and supporters.