A joint team of Kolkata Police and the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department visited Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s Camac Street office in Kolkata on August 31 for a floor-by-floor fire safety audit, four days after a clash broke out during the removal of a TMC billboard from the premises.
Officials inspected fire-fighting systems, water availability, alarms, sprinklers, emergency access and the building plan. The inspection has since resulted in a notice citing six alleged fire-safety lapses, including an expired fire safety certificate, inadequate firefighting water supply on the seventh floor, the absence of a designated fire exit and problems with the fire alarm system.
The Fire Department has sought an explanation from the building owner and tenant within 48 hours, including why the premises should not be sealed. The TMC has questioned the timing of the inspection and alleged political targeting, while authorities have maintained that fire safety is a regulatory matter.
The visit comes as a separate police investigation into the August 27 confrontation continues, with multiple FIRs registered and Banerjee questioned by police on September 1.
Fire Safety Under Scrutiny
The August 31 inspection was conducted at 9 Camac Street, an eight-storey building where Banerjee’s party office occupies the seventh and eighth floors. Fire officials examined the premises, including common areas, the basement and access routes, while checking pumps, water pressure, sprinklers, alarms, hosepipes and other firefighting arrangements.
Officials also assessed whether emergency vehicles could access the building in the event of a fire. According to reports, the team conducted a controlled sprinkler test in the basement and used smoke to test fire detectors. While the sprinkler reportedly functioned during the test, the subsequent departmental notice raised concerns about several other safety measures.
The West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department’s September 1 notice reportedly identified six fire-safety deficiencies. Among the concerns was the expiry of the building’s fire safety certificate on August 10 without renewal.
Officials also flagged inadequate water availability for firefighting on the seventh floor, the absence of a designated fire exit and a non-functional or improperly functioning fire alarm system. The department has asked the building owner and tenant to submit documents and explain why action, including sealing of the premises, should not be taken. The notice reportedly invokes Section 37A of the relevant fire-safety law.
Billboard Clash Escalates
The fire audit followed a confrontation at the same premises on August 27, when officials from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), accompanied by police personnel, arrived to remove a large billboard bearing TMC signage. Civic authorities said the billboard was unauthorised and posed a safety concern, while TMC leaders questioned the legality and procedure of the removal.
Banerjee arrived at the site and objected to the operation, asking officials to produce the order authorising the action. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien and other TMC leaders were also present. The situation escalated into heated exchanges and a physical confrontation involving civic officials, police, private security personnel and TMC workers. The billboard was eventually dismantled using a gas cutter.
The incident subsequently led to three FIRs. Police alleged obstruction of government officials and other offences, while one complaint alleged that a police sergeant was obstructed and that a government-issued walkie-talkie was snatched.
Banerjee, O’Brien, TMC leader Humayun Kabir and others were named in the cases. Police initially reported 13 arrests, with later reports putting the number at 14. Banerjee was served a notice and appeared before Shakespeare Sarani police on September 1, where he was questioned for several hours.
Following the questioning, Banerjee accused the BJP-led state government of selectively targeting the TMC and its workers. TMC leaders have also questioned whether the fire inspection was connected to the earlier billboard dispute.
The authorities, however, have maintained that the Fire Department’s inspection concerns compliance with safety regulations. There is currently no official finding establishing that the fire audit was ordered as retaliation for the billboard controversy.
The police investigation has also continued separately from the fire-safety proceedings. A scientific team of Kolkata Police reportedly visited the premises to document the location and reconstruct aspects of the August 27 confrontation. Police photographers and sketch artists examined areas including the staircase and other locations relevant to the alleged obstruction.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The developments at the Camac Street office underline how quickly a civic dispute can become entangled with political confrontation and criminal proceedings. Fire safety, however, should remain above political differences. If the Fire Department has identified genuine safety deficiencies, they must be addressed promptly because an emergency in a crowded commercial building can put workers, visitors, security personnel, emergency responders and bystanders at risk.
At the same time, regulatory action must be transparent, consistent and based on clearly documented rules so that public institutions retain people’s trust. Political leaders and government officials have a responsibility to demonstrate restraint, especially when disagreements can be resolved through established procedures rather than confrontation.
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