Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office hit by fresh legal notice over rent violations
Synopsis
The Camac Street office linked to TMC's Abhishek Banerjee is now fighting on two fronts — an illegal billboard removed by KMC and Kolkata Police, and a legal notice from the building owner alleging the party's youth wing forcibly occupied two floors without a completion certificate. The counsel's pointed remark that they 'gained courage' only after the political regime changed signals this is as much about West Bengal's shifting power balance as it is about a rent dispute.
Key Takeaways
Building owner Rama Devi Goenka has served a legal notice on All India Youth Trinamool Congress over the office at 9 Camac Street, Kolkata .
A lease agreement was signed on 1 March 2020 for ten years, but the sixth and seventh floors were allegedly occupied before a completion certificate was issued.
The agreement was reportedly signed by Debraj Chakraborty , a former TMC councillor now in judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case.
The legal notice was served on 25 August ; a billboard at the same premises was removed by KMC and Kolkata Police on 27 August .
The building owner's counsel cited West Bengal's changed political regime as the reason the owner felt empowered to act now.
A fresh legal dispute has erupted over the Trinamool Congress party office of Abhishek Banerjee, general secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member, located at 9 Camac Street in central Kolkata. Building owner Rama Devi Goenka has served a legal notice on the party, alleging violations of the rent agreement and demanding vacation of the premises.
The Legal Notice and Its Allegations
Goenka's counsel, Sagnika Chattopadhyay, told reporters on Saturday, 29 August that the notice demands the occupants vacate the space or face legal proceedings. According to Chattopadhyay, a lease agreement was executed on 1 March 2020 between the building owner and the All India Youth Trinamool Congress for a period of ten years.
The agreement, she alleged, contained a key clause: the owner would first furnish a completion certificate, after which the youth wing would take possession of the sixth and seventh floors. 'But before that certificate was provided, the two floors were forcibly occupied,' she said. The legal notice was reportedly served on 25 August, days before the controversy over an illegal billboard at the same premises came to light.
Who Signed the Agreement
The lease was reportedly signed on behalf of the youth wing by Debraj Chakraborty, a former councillor of the then-TMC-run Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Chakraborty is currently in judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case, adding another layer of legal complexity to the dispute.
The Billboard Row and Its Link to the Notice
The Camac Street office had already drawn attention on Thursday, 27 August, when the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and Kolkata Police removed a billboard from the premises, citing it as illegal. Goenka's counsel alleged the billboard had been installed without the building owner's permission. Notably, the billboard's removal came after the legal notice had already been served on 25 August, suggesting the two developments may be connected.
Counsel Cites Political Shift as Emboldening Move
'We were unable to do anything then since Trinamool was in power in West Bengal. Now that the regime has changed, we have gained courage to approach the matter,' Chattopadhyay said, attributing the timing of the legal action to the changed political climate in the state. Despite repeated requests to vacate, the counsel alleged, the occupants had not complied, claiming they would resolve the completion certificate issue with KMC authorities themselves.
What Happens Next
The legal notice puts TMC's youth wing on notice to vacate or face court proceedings. The dispute — layering a rent agreement violation, an alleged illegal occupation, and an illegal billboard — compounds the political pressure on Abhishek Banerjee, whose office sits at the centre of the row. The matter is likely to escalate in the coming days as the new political dispensation in West Bengal closely watches its outcome.
Point of View
This is not merely a property dispute; it is a reputational liability arriving at a moment when TMC can least afford it.
NationPress
29 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Camac Street office dispute involving Abhishek Banerjee?
The dispute centres on the TMC party office at 9 Camac Street, Kolkata, linked to Abhishek Banerjee. The building owner has served a legal notice alleging the party's youth wing illegally occupied two floors before a completion certificate was issued, violating the lease agreement signed in March 2020.
Who served the legal notice and what does it demand?
Building owner Rama Devi Goenka served the legal notice on 25 August, through her counsel Sagnika Chattopadhyay. It demands that the occupants vacate the sixth and seventh floors of 9 Camac Street, failing which legal proceedings will be initiated.
What was the billboard row at Camac Street?
On 27 August, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police removed a billboard from the Camac Street premises, citing it as illegal. The building owner's counsel alleged the billboard was installed without the owner's permission, and its removal followed the serving of the legal notice on 25 August.
Who signed the lease agreement on behalf of the TMC youth wing?
The lease was reportedly signed by Debraj Chakraborty, a former councillor of the then-TMC-run Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation. Chakraborty is currently in judicial custody in a disproportionate assets case.
Why is the timing of the legal action significant?
The building owner's counsel said they were unable to act earlier because TMC was in power in West Bengal, and that the changed political regime gave them the confidence to pursue the matter now. This suggests the dispute reflects broader political shifts in the state beyond a routine property disagreement.
