Abhishek Banerjee’s Kalighat residence searched by police before dawn

A police raid before dawn on Saturday increased political tensions in West Bengal. Police, supported by central forces, searched TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee’s home for several hours. Officials said they were looking for his close aide, who is connected to an alleged financial fraud.

Officers from Salboni Police Station in Paschim Medinipur and Kolkata Police led the operation. As they searched for Banerjee’s personal assistant, Sumit Roy, a confrontation broke out and lasted several hours. Mamata Banerjee arrived at the scene, adding to the already tense political situation.

Police were looking for Roy, who is wanted in a financial fraud and land case at Salboni Police Station. Police sources said Roy’s phone was last traced to Banerjee’s home, prompting the urgent search. When officers arrived, security at the gate resisted, leading to a standoff. Police then broke the locks and searched the house thoroughly into the morning.

Eyewitnesses and party insiders described a tense atmosphere and raised voices during the search. Police did not find Sumit Roy or make any major seizures. Abhishek Banerjee, who was present, told reporters, “They broke open the locks to search the house. I am not the investigating agency. The agency searched. So, question them, not me,” and said he recorded the search. He stayed at the house for much of the operation, talking with police officials and asking for details about the case. His presence was searched at a political event, with a senior leader at his family home during the operation. He said the search followed procedure.

“The operation was based on specific leads, including the last known location of the accused’s phone,” a district officer said. Roy is accused of financial irregularities and possible extortion related to electoral promises, with investigators following money trails from a former TMC MLA’s interrogation. TMC leaders called the raid a clear case of political vendetta. Party sources said the raid was meant to intimidate a leader who is already facing several summonses from the CID and Enforcement Directorate in other cases, including a signature-forgery probe and alleged provocative speeches during the recent elections. “This is not an investigation, this is harassment,” a senior TMC member said, pointing to the timing after the party’s recent electoral loss.

The raid took place during a time of political unrest in West Bengal. The TMC lost the May 2026 assembly elections, which led to internal disputes, resignations, and public criticism within the party. Abhishek Banerjee, a key leader, has recently faced several investigations. Just days before the raid, the CID questioned him for over five hours and more summonses from the ED and other agencies are expected.

At the same time, central agencies searched other places linked to the TMC, including MLA Madan Mitra’s home, making the actions appear coordinated. BJP leaders did not comment directly on the Kalighat raid but said these actions were about accountability after years of alleged misgovernance. By mid-morning, police had left, but heavy security remained outside. Mamata Banerjee left after the search ended, and political reactions soon followed, with accusations and counter-accusations on social media.

TMC MPs like Mahua Moitra called the raid “100% vendetta,” while others said everyone must follow the law. For residents of usually quiet Kalighat, the night was anything but normal. Flashing lights, broken locks, and the arrival of a major political figure turned their street into the centre of a state-wide political conflict.

As Saturday went on, questions remained: Was Sumit Roy ever in the house that night? Did the search uncover any new leads? This incident has made Bengal’s tense political scene even more complicated. Legal battles, investigations, and political fights have become more common since the 2026 assembly elections. For the TMC, the search is another reason to claim that opposition leaders are being targeted after their loss in the polls.

For investigators, the search was simply part of their ongoing criminal case. Politically, though, seeing police and central forces enter the home of Mamata Banerjee’s likely successor before dawn made the event much more significant than the case alone.