Derek O'Brien at Kolkata police station for billboard row interrogation
Synopsis
Senior TMC leader Derek O'Brien walked into Kolkata's Shakespeare Sarani Police Station 90 minutes early on Wednesday — days after skipping a first summons — as the illegal billboard row outside Abhishek Banerjee's office escalates into a multi-FIR case naming some of West Bengal's most powerful politicians.
Key Takeaways
Derek O'Brien , TMC Rajya Sabha MP, appeared at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station on 2 September at 10.30 am — ahead of his noon deadline.
Three FIRs allege TMC activists assaulted on-duty officers and attempted to outrage the modesty of a female police officer during the 27 August Camac Street confrontation.
Abhishek Banerjee and O'Brien are named in two of the three FIRs, along with Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee .
14 people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far.
O'Brien had initially skipped a Monday summons; Kolkata Police rejected his counsel's request for a seven-day extension before issuing a fresh notice.
Abhishek Banerjee faced over six hours of interrogation at the same station on Tuesday.
All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien arrived at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in central Kolkata on Wednesday, 2 September to face interrogation over three FIRs linked to the illegal billboard removal row outside the party office of Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee. O'Brien reached the station at 10.30 am — a full ninety minutes ahead of his noon deadline — driving himself to the venue.
Key Developments
Sumit Roy, the personal assistant of Abhishek Banerjee, was also scheduled to appear for questioning at the same police station on Wednesday. A day earlier, on Tuesday, Banerjee himself had faced a marathon interrogation session lasting over six hours at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in connection with the same case.
Notably, O'Brien had originally been directed to appear on Monday but did not comply. His legal counsel instead wrote to Kolkata Police requesting a seven-day extension. The city police declined the plea and issued a fresh notice mandating his presence by noon on Wednesday — a notice O'Brien ultimately honoured, and then some.
What Triggered the Row
Tension erupted on Camac Street on 27 August when staff from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by police personnel, arrived at Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office to remove what authorities described as an illegal billboard. They were met with stiff resistance from TMC activists, with scuffles breaking out between party workers and on-duty officers.
According to police, the confrontation involved Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, and other TMC leaders including Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee. This is the first such direct confrontation between Kolkata Police and senior TMC leadership in recent memory, making the episode politically significant beyond the immediate legal proceedings.
What the FIRs Allege
Three FIRs have been registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station. According to police, TMC activists allegedly assaulted on-duty officers and, in a particularly serious charge, attempted to outrage the modesty of a female police officer. Banerjee and O'Brien have been named in two of the three FIRs, alongside Kabir and Chatterjee.
So far, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, according to police. The arrests and the naming of senior TMC figures have drawn attention to the widening scope of the investigation.
Political Context and What Comes Next
This comes amid a broader tension between civic authorities and the ruling TMC in West Bengal over enforcement of municipal regulations. Abhishek Banerjee, the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is among the most prominent names in the FIRs — a detail that has amplified the political dimensions of what began as a routine billboard removal drive.
With interrogations of key figures now underway, investigators are expected to determine whether formal charges will be framed against the named leaders. The outcome of these proceedings could have significant implications for the TMC ahead of upcoming electoral cycles in West Bengal.
Point of View
Widely seen as the party's second-in-command — in direct legal jeopardy. What is striking is that Kolkata Police, which operates under a state government led by the TMC's own Mamata Banerjee, filed the FIRs and pushed through interrogations despite initial non-compliance. That institutional friction within a ruling party's own administrative machinery deserves scrutiny. The charges — including an alleged attempt to outrage a female officer's modesty — are serious enough that a political settlement will be difficult; the courts, not party backrooms, are likely to determine the endgame here.
NationPress
2 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Derek O'Brien summoned to Kolkata's Shakespeare Sarani Police Station?
O'Brien was summoned in connection with three FIRs filed after TMC activists allegedly resisted and assaulted Kolkata Municipal Corporation staff and police who arrived to remove an illegal billboard outside Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office on 27 August. He is named in two of the three FIRs.
What are the charges in the Kolkata billboard row FIRs?
The three FIRs allege that TMC activists assaulted on-duty police officers and, in a particularly serious charge, attempted to outrage the modesty of a female police officer during the 27 August confrontation on Camac Street. Senior TMC leaders including Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Humayun Kabir, and Baishwanar Chatterjee have been named.
Did Derek O'Brien comply with the first summons from Kolkata Police?
No. O'Brien was originally directed to appear on Monday but did not turn up. His counsel sought a seven-day extension, which Kolkata Police declined. A fresh notice was then served requiring him to appear by noon on Wednesday, 2 September, which he complied with — arriving at 10.30 am.
How many people have been arrested in the Kolkata billboard row case?
Kolkata Police have arrested 14 people in connection with the 27 August incident so far. Interrogations of senior named leaders, including Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien, are ongoing at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station.
Who is Abhishek Banerjee and what is his role in the case?
Abhishek Banerjee is the Diamond Harbour MP and nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He is named in two of the three FIRs and faced over six hours of interrogation at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station on Tuesday, a day before O'Brien's appearance.
