Police on Sunday conducted a search operation at 'Uday Villa', the Kamarhati residence of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Madan Mitra, in North 24 Parganas district, seizing documents after an hour-long sweep of the locked premises. The operation was led by Barrackpore Police Commissionerate Deputy Commissioner (South) Dyutiman Bhattacharya and marks the latest in a widening crackdown on allegedly illegal constructions linked to TMC-era patronage networks.

How the search unfolded

When a large police contingent arrived at Uday Villa at around 1 pm, the house was locked and Madan Mitra was not on the premises. Officers broke open the lock, entered, conducted a thorough search lasting approximately one hour, and then secured the property before leaving. Documents were seized, though their nature has not been officially disclosed.

According to local sources, Mitra occasionally stays at the house. It remains unclear, however, whether he is the legal owner of the property.

The land ownership question

At the centre of the investigation is an allegation that the plot on which Uday Villa stands belongs to a central government agency. Police are reportedly examining how the structure came to be built on land allegedly owned by that agency — a line of inquiry that could have significant legal consequences for those involved.

The Kamarhati Assembly constituency MLA also reportedly maintains a party office within the same premises, adding a political dimension to the property dispute.

Broader crackdown on illegal constructions

Sunday's raid fits into a pattern that has accelerated since the change of government in West Bengal. Civic and police authorities have launched a systematic drive against illegal constructions that allegedly proliferated during the TMC government's tenure, with several structures demolished in bulldozer operations across the city and its outskirts.

Critics argue that many of these constructions were raised with the active support of TMC leaders and real estate developers operating under the patronage of influential party figures. The current administration has framed the demolitions and searches as a rule-of-law exercise.

Political backdrop

The timing of the search is notable. TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to hold a party meeting at her Kalighat residence in south Kolkata on Sunday evening. Political observers were closely watching which of the 80 TMC MLAs who won the recent Assembly elections would attend.

According to sources close to Mitra, he was at his south Kolkata residence on Sunday and was expected to attend the Kalighat gathering — suggesting the police action did not result in his detention or questioning, at least immediately.

What happens next

With documents now in police custody, investigators are expected to pursue the land ownership trail further. The outcome of that inquiry could determine whether charges are filed and against whom. The broader crackdown shows no signs of slowing, with authorities signalling that more such operations are likely across the district.