Legal Standoff Over Office Safety: Fire Safety Guidelines Mandated for Banerjee’s Office

A legal tug‑of‑war unfolded in Calcutta as the High Court bench led by Justice Krishna Rao ordered the state fire department to furnish detailed fire‑safety guidelines for the Trinamool Congress office on Camac Street. The court cancelled the earlier eviction notice and stressed that compliance with the guidelines is a prerequisite for any further action.

The judgment requires the fire service to issue a pre‑inspection notice, informing the party of the date and the exact fire‑protection measures that must be installed. Only after the office adheres to these instructions can the department consider enforcement measures.

The decision arrives amid heightened tensions after a recent incident where Kolkata municipal staff and police took down an illegal billboard from the office roof, leading to clashes between municipal personnel, police, and TMC leaders including MP Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O'Brien, Humayun Kabir and Basu Narayan Chaudhuri. The confrontation resulted in three FIRs and prompted a fire‑safety audit that originally led to the eviction notice now repealed by the court.