Kolkata Police summon Derek O'Brien in Trinamool billboard row after Abhishek Banerjee notice
Synopsis
Kolkata Police have now summoned both senior TMC leaders Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien in connection with FIRs over a violent standoff during the removal of an allegedly illegal billboard from Banerjee's Camac Street party office. With 14 arrests already made and charges including assault on police and outraging a female officer's modesty, the case is an extraordinary situation of a ruling party's own police force acting against its top leadership.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police served a summons on Derek O'Brien , TMC Rajya Sabha member, on Sunday, 31 August , asking him to appear at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station by noon the same day.
Abhishek Banerjee , TMC general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP, received a similar notice on Saturday night , directing him to appear by noon on 1 September .
The FIRs relate to a confrontation on Thursday when KMC staff and police attempted to remove an allegedly illegal billboard from Banerjee's Camac Street party office.
Three FIRs have been filed; charges include assaulting on-duty officers and allegedly outraging the modesty of a female police officer.
14 people have been arrested so far; TMC leaders Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee are also named in two of the FIRs.
Neither Banerjee nor O'Brien had confirmed compliance with the summons as of the time of reporting.
Kolkata Police on Sunday, 31 August issued a formal summons to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien, directing him to appear before Shakespeare Sarani Police Station by noon on 31 August — one day after a similar notice was served to party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Both summons stem from three First Information Reports (FIRs) filed over a confrontation during the removal of an allegedly illegal billboard from the roof of Banerjee's party office on Camac Street in Central Kolkata.
How the Summons Were Served
Officers from Shakespeare Sarani Police Station reached O'Brien's residence on Prince Anwar Shah Road in South Kolkata shortly after 9 am on Sunday. 'After several knocks, a representative of O'Brien came out, and our officers handed over the interrogation notice to him,' a city police officer said. The previous evening, cops from the same station had arrived at the residence of Abhishek Banerjee — nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the party's Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member — serving him a notice to appear by noon on 1 September. As of the time of reporting, neither Banerjee nor O'Brien had confirmed whether they would comply with the summons.
What Triggered the FIRs
Tension erupted on Camac Street on Thursday afternoon when staff from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by police personnel, arrived at Abhishek Banerjee's party office to dismantle what authorities described as an illegal billboard on the building's roof. They were met with stiff resistance from TMC activists, with Banerjee, O'Brien, and other party leaders reportedly leading the pushback. Scuffles broke out between police personnel and the activists.
Charges Filed and Arrests Made
Three FIRs were subsequently registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station. According to police, TMC activists not only allegedly assaulted on-duty officers but also allegedly attempted to outrage the modesty of a female police officer. Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, and other TMC leaders including Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee have been named in two of the three FIRs. So far, 14 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.
Broader Political Context
The confrontation marks a rare instance of Kolkata Police — which operates under the state government led by the Trinamool Congress — filing cases against senior figures from its own ruling party. The episode comes amid ongoing scrutiny of municipal enforcement actions in Kolkata and raises questions about intra-party dynamics in West Bengal. This is the latest in a series of incidents where billboard and hoarding regulations have become flashpoints in urban Bengal politics.
What Happens Next
The compliance or non-compliance of Banerjee and O'Brien with the summons will be closely watched. Legal observers note that repeated non-appearance could prompt the police to escalate to a formal arrest warrant. The political fallout within the TMC and the state government's handling of the case are expected to dominate Bengal's political discourse in the coming days.
Point of View
Which functions under a West Bengal government led by the Trinamool Congress, has now filed FIRs against and issued summons to two of the party's most prominent national faces. That the charges include assaulting police and outraging a female officer's modesty — not minor procedural violations — raises the stakes considerably. Whether this reflects genuine institutional independence or an internal factional signal within the TMC is a question Bengal watchers will be parsing closely. The compliance question is equally telling: if Banerjee and O'Brien skip the summons, the optics of a ruling party's leaders defying its own police force will be difficult to manage.
NationPress
30 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Kolkata Police summon Derek O'Brien?
Kolkata Police summoned Derek O'Brien in connection with three FIRs filed at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station over a confrontation during the removal of an allegedly illegal billboard from Abhishek Banerjee's party office on Camac Street. O'Brien is named in two of the three FIRs, which include charges of assaulting on-duty police officers.
What happened at Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office?
On Thursday, Kolkata Municipal Corporation staff and police personnel arrived at Abhishek Banerjee's Camac Street office to remove an allegedly illegal billboard from the building's roof. TMC activists, reportedly led by Banerjee, O'Brien, and other party leaders, resisted the action, leading to scuffles with police.
Who else has been named in the FIRs?
Apart from Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien, TMC leaders Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee have been named in two of the three FIRs. Fourteen people have been arrested in connection with the incident so far.
Will Abhishek Banerjee and Derek O'Brien appear before police?
As of the time of reporting, neither Banerjee nor O'Brien had confirmed whether they would comply with the summons. Banerjee was asked to appear by noon on 1 September, while O'Brien's notice required appearance by noon on 31 August.
What are the charges in the billboard row FIRs?
The three FIRs filed at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station allege that TMC activists assaulted on-duty police officers and that a female police officer's modesty was allegedly outraged during the confrontation. The charges are linked to the resistance put up against the KMC's billboard removal drive.
