HC allows TMC plea against Fire Dept evacuation notice

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed the Trinamool Congress to file an urgent writ petition challenging a Fire Department notice asking the occupiers (party) to evacuate its Camac Street office over alleged fire-safety deficiencies. Justice Krishna Rao is likely to hear the matter on Friday. TMC counsel submitted that the September 4 notice, issued under Section 37A of the Fire Safety Act, required the premises to be vacated 'immediately'. The party occupies the seventh and eighth floors of 9, Camac Street, where Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's office is located. The counsel said a lease deed was in force and a civil court had already ordered status quo in TMC's favour in a dispute over the premises. He alleged that the Fire department's action sought to bypass that order and urged the High Court to hear the challenge urgently. Justice Rao asked what the urgency was and when the occupants had been asked to vacate. The counsel replied that while no date had been specified, the notice called for immediate vacation. 'If the building is not safe, you will have to vacate,' the judge observed, asking who would take responsibility if any untoward incident occurred. The court directed that notice be served on all parties concerned while remarking that the owner of the premises did not approach the court.