The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday nullified a directive issued by the West Bengal Fire Services Department that ordered the evacuation of two floors housing Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee’s office in south Kolkata.
Ruling on the matter, Justice Krishna Rao overturned the September 4 administrative order that required the vacation of the sixth and seventh floors of the Camac Street high-rise. The court instructed fire officials to review a response submitted by the Trinamool Congress on September 3 and conduct a fresh inspection of the premises after serving prior notice to the political party.
Fresh Inspection And Compliance Directives
Under the court’s guidelines, if the upcoming site visit reveals remaining fire safety deficiencies across the two floors, the department must formally notify the party to carry out corrective measures. Justice Rao clarified that should the petitioner fail to address the designated safety requirements following the formal notice, the Fire Services Department remains empowered to initiate appropriate legal proceedings.
The final verdict follows an interim ruling issued by the high court on September 11, which had barred the authorities from enforcing the vacate notice until the petition was fully decided.
Arguments Over Safety Lapses And Expirations
The legal dispute arose after the Fire Services Department ordered the immediate clearing of the two commercial floors on September 4, citing an expired fire safety clearance.
During court proceedings, the state’s Advocate General, Surojit Nath Mitra, opposed the Trinamool Congress’s petition, contending that the premises breached multiple fire safety regulations. Mitra stated that several safety parameters had been disregarded on both the sixth and seventh floors, further pointing out that multiple liquefied petroleum gas cylinders were stored on one of the levels.
Prior Conflict At Camac Street Premises
The high-rise location had previously witnessed administrative friction in August, when civic personnel moved to dismantle an unauthorized Trinamool Congress billboard installed on the structure. That enforcement action led to physical confrontations involving Kolkata Municipal Corporation officials, local police personnel, private security personnel stationed at Banerjee’s office, and political supporters alongside party leaders.
