Calcutta High Court says custodial interrogation of Abhishek Banerjee not required in cases registered against him after May 4

Calcutta High Court on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) extended the interim protection of Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee till August 31 and said that his custodial interrogation is not required in the 16 cases registered after May 4, the day when the result of the Assembly election was out.

Justice Saugata Bhhattacharyya was hearing a plea by Mr. Banerjee claiming that a spate of politically motivated FIRs was registered against him shortly after the BJP government came to power on May 4. The court also verbally observed that the political scenario has changed in West Bengal since a different political party is in power in West Bengal instead of the Trinamool Congress.

During the hearing, the court asked the State whether any FIR has been lodged against Mr. Banerjee before May 4. In response, the additional solicitor general S.V. Raju confirmed the court that there are no cases before that.

However, the court refused to quash these FIRs at this early stage of investigation but said that police may continue their probe without taking any coercive action against him immediately.

The judge also recounted an instance where demolition work was initiated against a property that was being used as Mr. Banerjee’s MP office, before the High Court stepped in to stall the move on a weekend.

“Now situation is changed. Therefore custodial interrogation is not necessary. Due to change of political dispensation, now there is a change of scenario. If he is so influential, how his office in Amtala is being demolished? Where a coordinate bench of the court had to interfere (to stall the demolition)? It does not support your contention that the petitioner is very influential. Whether any influential person’s office is being demolished within his constituency?” the judge asked.

The State, in response, pointed out that the said property does not belong to Mr. Banerjee but it belongs to Leaps and Bounds, a company linked to Mr. Banerjee. The court also said, “Before the era of the present political dispensation, this (demolition of the property linked to Banerjee) could have been done? I am asking everybody. So it goes to show, the situation is changed.. And that demolition proceedings began on Friday evening. Like yesterday’s matter, rally matter. All proceedings are being started from Friday evening. And the Court is then required to sit during weekends.”

Following the hearing, the Court reserved its verdict on whether the interim protection should continue until it finally decides on Mr. Banerjee’s plea to quash the FIRs against him.