Kolkata: A single-judge special bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday refused to pass any interim instruction on the petition filed by the faction in Trinamool Congress led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee earlier in the day in connection with the row over the removal of an illegal billboard from the roof of the party’s general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee’s office on Camac Street in Central Kolkata.
In the petition filed earlier in the day, the petitioner pleaded that the billboard removed from the roof of the office by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) staff on Thursday evening should be reinstated.
Later, after hearing the matter, the single-judge special bench of Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury refused to pass any instruction. According to him, since the case was at a premature stage, his bench could not pass an interim instruction until affidavits were filed by all concerned parties.
Justice Chowdhury further ruled that only after affidavits from all parties concerned are filed, the petitioner would be able to seek the court’s attention again for a detailed hearing.
In its petition, the Mamata Banerjee-led faction in Trinamool Congress also sought to submit to the court the names of the KMC staff and Kolkata Police personnel who went to the Camac Street office on Thursday to remove the billboard.
However, the court also rejected that plea. The KMC authorities claimed that according to the municipal corporation rules, prior permission has to be taken to put up hoardings or billboards in the municipal area and taxes have to be paid for that. However, in this case, the rules were not followed, and permission was also not taken; KMC had informed the court.
On Thursday, tension broke out on Camac Street after KMC officials, accompanied by Kolkata Police personnel, reached the office of Abhishek Banerjee, the party’s Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member and also the nephew of Mamata Banerjee, to remove an illegal billboard.
The billboard was removed ultimately after two rounds of scuffles between the cops and Trinamool Congress activists. On Thursday, Abhishek informed that he would approach the Calcutta High Court in the matter.
On Friday morning, the Kolkata Police had issued a statement claiming that they have arrested 13 Trinamool Congress activists and registered three cases in connection with the Camac Street row
The two cases, filed based on the complaints filed by the officer of Shakespeare Sarani Police Station and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, name Abhishek Banerjee; Trinamool Rajya Sabha member Derek O’Brien; and party leaders like Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee, among others.
On the other hand, the third case filed on the basis of the complaint by an officer of Park Street Police Station has been registered against unknown persons.
(IANS)
