Search At Abhishek Banerjee's Residence: Calcutta HC Orders Preservation Of Footage On TMC's Plea
Trinamool Congress had moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the legality of the police action on June 13.
Published : June 29, 2026 at 7:56 PM IST
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday sought a response from West Bengal government on a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress challenging a predawn search operation at Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence on June 13.
Police conducted the operation in search of Banerjee's personal assistant, Sumit Roy, in connection with the alleged sale of government land in Salboni in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya ordered preservation of CCTV footage of the day of the incident on June 13 along with audio-video recordings of the search operation. The court said that an affidavit must be submitted by the police within four weeks, and a counter-affidavit by the petitioner, the Trinamool Congress, within two weeks.
The Trinamool Congress had moved the high court alleging excessive police action in this matter.
During the hearing, Kishore Datta, representing the Trinamool Congress, said that based on an FIR, the police searched Banerjee's residence at 121 Kalighat Road without any warrant. The police arrived at 3 am, and at 5 am, a disaster management team was summoned to break open the locks.
It was argued that the police were abusing power and although the complaint mentioned only Sumit Roy's name and not Banerjee's, the house was searched on suspicion that the former was present there.
In his order, the judge clarified there were no grounds for issuing an interim order at this stage. The police must submit a report within four weeks, and the petitioner must file a counter-affidavit within two weeks, he said. The police at the concerned station have been directed to preserve the CCTV footage, as well as audio and video recordings of the search and seizure.
Further, Justice Bhattacharyya questioned why the search was conducted so late at night on June 13. In response, additional advocate general Rajdeep Majumdar said there was a possibility that Sumit Roy might flee, a claim which Banerjee's lawyer refuted.
In the early hours of June 13, a large contingent of police and Central forces conducted a search at the Kalighat residence of Trinamool Congress all India general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Upon learning of this sudden police action, former Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had rushed to her nephew's residence.
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