Abhishek Banerjee exits Kolkata police station after 6-hour grilling in billboard clash case
Synopsis
TMC's second-most powerful figure, Abhishek Banerjee, spent over six hours at a Kolkata police station on 1 September over a clash triggered by the removal of an allegedly illegal billboard from his party office. With 14 arrests, three FIRs, and named senior leaders including Derek O'Brien, the billboard row has rapidly become a full-blown political-legal confrontation in West Bengal.
Key Takeaways
Abhishek Banerjee was questioned for over six hours at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station on 1 September .
The case stems from a 27 August clash when KMC personnel and police arrived to remove an allegedly illegal billboard from the TMC office on Camac Street, Kolkata .
Three FIRs have been filed; two name Banerjee, Derek O'Brien , Humayun Kabir , and Baishwanar Chatterjee .
Police allege TMC workers assaulted on-duty personnel and attempted to outrage the modesty of a woman officer; Banerjee denied both charges and claimed video evidence.
14 people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far.
Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee walked out of Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in Kolkata on Tuesday, 1 September after more than six hours of questioning linked to FIRs filed over the 27 August clash at his party office on Camac Street. The confrontation erupted when civic and police personnel arrived to remove what authorities described as an allegedly illegal billboard from the roof of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) office.
What Triggered the Clash
On 27 August, personnel of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by police, reached the Camac Street office to remove the disputed billboard. According to reports, TMC workers — allegedly led by Banerjee and other party leaders — resisted the removal, resulting in scuffles between civic officials, police, and party supporters at the site.
What the FIRs Allege
Three FIRs have been registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station. In two of them, Abhishek Banerjee, party leader Derek O'Brien, and other TMC functionaries including Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee have been named. Police allege that TMC activists assaulted on-duty personnel and attempted to outrage the modesty of a woman police officer. So far, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
What Abhishek Banerjee Said
Speaking to reporters after the interrogation, Banerjee — nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee — flatly rejected all allegations, particularly the charge relating to the alleged outrage of modesty. 'There was no such incident that day. No one was molested. We have video evidence to support our claim. Our supporters were dragged down the staircase mercilessly by the police. If the government has been elected by the people, why is it so afraid?' he said.
Banerjee also pushed back against what he characterised as political intimidation. 'They can do whatever they want. In a democracy, the rulers do not have the final word. False cases will not silence us,' he added.
Political and Legal Fallout
The episode marks a significant escalation in the ongoing friction between the TMC leadership and Kolkata's law-enforcement machinery. Notably, this is not the first time Abhishek Banerjee has faced legal scrutiny — he has previously been questioned by central agencies in separate matters. The billboard row, however, involves state police rather than a central probe, making it an intra-Bengal political flashpoint. With 14 arrests already made and named leaders facing FIRs, the legal proceedings are expected to intensify in the coming weeks.
Point of View
But its political subtext runs deeper. That state police — not a central agency — are pressing FIRs against the TMC's own general secretary signals an unusual intra-Bengal dynamic, or at minimum a breakdown in the party's relationship with the law-enforcement apparatus it nominally controls. Banerjee's invocation of video evidence and his defiant press statement suggest the TMC intends to fight this publicly, not quietly. The charge of outraging the modesty of a woman officer is particularly loaded: if substantiated, it could inflict lasting reputational damage; if disproved, it hands the TMC a potent counter-narrative ahead of any future electoral cycle. Either way, the 14 arrests already made ensure this will not fade quickly.
NationPress
1 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Abhishek Banerjee questioned by police in Kolkata?
Abhishek Banerjee was questioned at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station in connection with three FIRs arising from a clash on 27 August, when Kolkata Municipal Corporation and police personnel arrived to remove an allegedly illegal billboard from the TMC office on Camac Street. He is named in two of the three FIRs.
What are the specific charges in the FIRs against TMC leaders?
Police allege that TMC activists assaulted on-duty personnel and attempted to outrage the modesty of a woman police officer during the 27 August confrontation. Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Humayun Kabir, and Baishwanar Chatterjee are among those named.
How many people have been arrested in the Camac Street billboard clash?
As of 1 September, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the 27 August incident at the TMC office on Camac Street, Kolkata.
What did Abhishek Banerjee say after his interrogation?
Banerjee rejected all allegations, stating 'There was no such incident that day. No one was molested. We have video evidence to support our claim.' He also said 'False cases will not silence us,' framing the FIRs as political intimidation.
Who else has been named in the TMC billboard clash FIRs?
Besides Abhishek Banerjee, the FIRs name senior TMC leader Derek O'Brien and party functionaries Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee. All are named in two of the three FIRs registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station.
