Police in Kolkata have issued Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee a fresh notice to appear in connection with a case arising from the removal of a billboard outside his Camac Street office, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. The Shakespeare Sarani police station has directed him to appear on October 12 for questioning.
Police personnel went to Banerjee’s residence to serve the notice, the report said. Officers had also visited the house two days earlier, but returned without serving it because nobody was present. On Sunday morning, the authorities reportedly waited for around 20 minutes before the main door was opened and the notice was handed over.
The case relates to an incident on August 27, when Kolkata Municipal Corporation personnel went to remove a billboard that the civic body described as illegal. The removal operation at the Camac Street office reportedly led to a confrontation involving security guards, police personnel and municipal workers.
The civic body has alleged that its employees were obstructed while carrying out the operation. The report said police personnel were also allegedly assaulted when they attempted to enter the office premises, with some officers falling on the staircase during the scuffle. Municipal workers were allegedly prevented from carrying out the billboard removal and were also reportedly assaulted.
The billboard was eventually removed by the municipal corporation. Several people were detained in connection with the alleged obstruction of police and civic personnel. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation subsequently filed complaints at the police station against Banerjee and other Trinamool Congress leaders, according to the report.
The latest notice relates to another case filed by the civic body. The report said three cases had been registered by the municipality in connection with the billboard episode. Banerjee had earlier been questioned for around five hours in a separate case filed by the municipal corporation.
The complaint reportedly names Banerjee, former Indian Police Service officer Humayun Kabir, Baishwanar Chatterjee and several other Trinamool Congress leaders. The report did not provide the full text of the police notice or specify the legal sections under which the latest case was registered.
The dispute places municipal enforcement and the safety of civic workers at the centre of a politically sensitive police investigation. The civic body’s position, as reported, is that the billboard was unauthorised and that its removal was part of an official municipal operation. The allegations of obstruction and assault remain part of the case being investigated by the police.
The immediate next step is Banerjee’s scheduled appearance before the Shakespeare Sarani police on October 12. The report said it remained to be seen whether the MP would attend the questioning.
