Calcutta HC returns Abhishek Banerjee office eviction case to City Civil Court
Synopsis
The Calcutta High Court has sent the eviction dispute over Abhishek Banerjee's TMC party office on Camac Street back to the City Civil Court, giving it 15 days post-Durga Puja to resolve the injunction question. With four serious allegations — from illegal occupation to unpaid rent — the case puts a sharp spotlight on the TMC's second-most powerful figure.
Key Takeaways
A Calcutta High Court division bench on 23 September 2026 sent the eviction case over Abhishek Banerjee's party office back to the City Civil Court , Kolkata.
The office occupies the seventh and eighth floors of a building on Camac Street and faces eviction notices from the West Bengal Fire Services Department and building owner Ramadevi Goenka .
The lower court must resolve the injunction question within 15 days of normal proceedings resuming after the Durga Puja holidays.
Four allegations against the All India Youth Trinamool Congress : pre-certificate occupation, unauthorised billboard, illegal use of stairs/garage/roof, and five months of unpaid rent.
The lease agreement between the building owner and the youth wing was signed on 1 March 2020 .
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, 23 September 2026, remanded the eviction case concerning Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee's party office on Camac Street in central Kolkata back to the City Civil Court. The bench held that a detailed, adversarial hearing was necessary before any final order could be passed.
Background: Two Eviction Notices
The office in question occupies the seventh and eighth floors of a multi-storied building on Camac Street. It faces two separate eviction notices — one issued by the West Bengal Fire Services Department and another by the building owner, Ramadevi Goenka. The space is leased under an agreement signed on 1 March 2020 between Goenka and the All India Youth Trinamool Congress.
High Court's Direction
The Division Bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Justice Sandeep Kumar Dey directed the City Civil Court to resolve the question of an injunction or status quo on the building owner's eviction notice within 15 days of normal court proceedings resuming after the Durga Puja holidays. The bench stipulated that the hearing must be concluded expeditiously and without prejudice to either party.
This order comes after City Civil Court Judge Sudhir Kumar had previously directed that 'status quo' be maintained until the main case was disposed of. Building owner Goenka subsequently challenged that order before the High Court, prompting the referral back with a fixed timeline.
Allegations Against the Youth Wing
The building owner has levelled four substantive allegations against the All India Youth Trinamool Congress. First, the youth wing allegedly took possession of the seventh and eighth floors before a mandatory completion certificate was obtained, in violation of the lease terms. Second, a billboard was reportedly erected on the roof without the owner's knowledge or consent. Third, the youth wing is alleged to have illegally occupied portions outside the leased area, including the stairs, garage, and roof. Fourth, according to the building owner, five months of rent remains unpaid.
What Happens Next
The City Civil Court in Kolkata must now hear arguments from both sides within the court's prescribed timeline once the post-Durga Puja session resumes. The outcome of the injunction question will determine whether the youth wing can continue to occupy the premises during the pendency of the main dispute. The case is being watched closely given Abhishek Banerjee's prominence within the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the political optics surrounding the use of the Camac Street address.
Point of View
And any prolonged legal cloud over his associated offices carries political optics the party would prefer to avoid. The four-pronged allegation from the building owner — ranging from pre-certificate occupation to months of unpaid rent — suggests a dispute that escalated over time rather than one triggered overnight. The High Court's decision to remand rather than rule is procedurally orthodox, but the tight 15-day deadline signals the judiciary's intent to prevent indefinite status quo. Whether the case remains a real-estate matter or acquires political dimensions will depend on how quickly the lower court acts.
NationPress
23 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Calcutta High Court send the eviction case back to the lower court?
The Calcutta High Court returned the case to the City Civil Court because a detailed hearing with arguments from both sides was required. The division bench set a 15-day deadline post-Durga Puja holidays for the lower court to resolve the injunction question.
Who owns the building housing Abhishek Banerjee's TMC office on Camac Street?
The building on Camac Street in central Kolkata is owned by Ramadevi Goenka. It is Goenka who served one of the two eviction notices and later challenged the City Civil Court's status quo order in the High Court.
What are the allegations against the All India Youth Trinamool Congress?
Four allegations have been made: occupying the floors before obtaining a mandatory completion certificate, erecting a billboard on the roof without the owner's consent, illegally using portions such as stairs, garage, and roof beyond the leased area, and failing to pay five months of rent.
What was the City Civil Court's earlier order in this case?
City Civil Court Judge Sudhir Kumar had directed that status quo be maintained until the main case was disposed of. Building owner Ramadevi Goenka challenged that order in the Calcutta High Court, leading to Wednesday's remand.
When was the lease agreement for the Camac Street office signed?
The lease agreement between building owner Ramadevi Goenka and the All India Youth Trinamool Congress was signed on 1 March 2020, covering the seventh and eighth floors of the Camac Street building.
