Falta demolition entered its second day on Thursday as the South 24-Parganas district administration continued razing alleged unauthorised portions of a multi-storey mansion linked to former Trinamool Congress strongman Jahangir Khan, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari warning that similar action would follow against other alleged encroachments on public land.
The mansion is located at Srirampur in Falta and stands on land the government has identified as its own, according to Adhikari. He said the reclaimed site would be used to build houses for economically weaker sections under a government housing scheme. The administration began demolishing the property on Wednesday after complaints about violations of building rules.
Officials had issued several notices to Khan, described in the report as a close aide to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. The report said he purportedly failed to respond to those notices. It did not provide details of the notices, the specific provisions allegedly violated or the housing scheme under which the land would be redeveloped.
Speaking at the inauguration of a Chhath festival organised by the Sanatan Sainik Parishad in Howrah, Adhikari said the government would not spare those involved in alleged corruption or illegal occupation of public land. “None will be spared. I will put each of them behind bars,” he said, referring to the demolition in Falta.
Adhikari alleged that around ₹30,000 crore had been siphoned out of West Bengal during the 15 years of the Trinamool Congress regime. The allegation was made as part of his broader warning against former party strongmen and was not accompanied in the report by supporting documents or a government investigation finding.
He also directly referred to the Shahjahan Fish Market at Sarberia in Sandeshkhali, North 24-Parganas, saying that the same drive would be carried out there. “Shahjahan Fish Market… This is only the beginning. Much more remains to be done,” he said. His statement signals a possible future action at the sprawling market, but the report does not establish that a demolition order or enforcement notice has been issued against it.
The Sarberia market formed part of Sheikh Shahjahan’s extensive fish-trading and commercial network, according to the report. The Enforcement Directorate had alleged that his business empire was connected to proceeds from land grabbing, illegal fisheries and coercive control over fish trading. Residents had also accused Shahjahan and his associates of forcibly occupying agricultural and private land and converting plots into fisheries. These allegations have been attributed to the agency and local residents; the report does not record a response from Shahjahan or representatives of the market.
The Falta action places the use of public land at the centre of the government’s stated enforcement drive. The administration’s decision to link the demolished property to housing for economically weaker people also connects land recovery with the availability of urban and peri-urban housing. The report does not specify the number of homes planned, the implementing agency, the project cost or the timeline for construction.
The immediate next step is the continuation of the demolition at Jahangir Khan’s mansion. Any action at the Shahjahan Fish Market would depend on the relevant administrative notices, findings and orders, none of which were detailed in the report.
