The Kolkata High Court has temporarily halted the demolition of a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee office in Diamond Harbour and has ordered no further demolition to take place until further orders.
The court also ordered the West Bengal government to place the whole case records before the regular bench, which will hear the matter in detail.
The order came after Banerjee approached the High Court to intervene immediately against the demolition drive. Because the court was closed Sunday, a special hearing was held to consider the plea.
The petition came from Leaps and Bounds Pvt Ltd, the company which was associated with the premises that was being demolished.
Demolition Drive Began in Amtala
The controversy began on Saturday when the South 24 Parganas district administration launched a demolition drive at the office building in Amtala, located within Abhishek Banerjee's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency.
The five-storey building was constructed without an approved building plan and was in violation of building regulations, the report said.
A heavy police force was reportedly in place at the site as bulldozers demolished the front part of the building.
The action was taken as per legal procedure, and notices have been sent out to individuals and entities connected with the property, officials said.
The demolition quickly turned into a political and legal issue, with Banerjee challenging the administration's move before the Kolkata High Court.
The TMC MP said that the demolition should be stopped. The court held a special hearing and issued an interim order which stopped any further action.
Court seeks complete case records
The High Court ordered that demolition could not proceed until further orders were made on the matter.
The West Bengal government is asked to produce the whole case record before the regular bench, which will examine the legal issues involved in the dispute.
The court's interim order means that no further demolition can be carried out at the premises for the time being.
The matter will now be returned to the regular bench for further consideration.
The case has attracted much political attention in West Bengal, with the demolition of a building linked to a senior TMC leader becoming the latest flashpoint between the ruling party and state authorities. The legal battle will now focus on the building's approval status, alleged violations of building rules and whether the administration followed all required procedures before the demolition.
There will be further discussion on the matter in the regular bench.
