Political circles were abuzz after a Kolkata Police team, comprising officers in standard white uniforms and plainclothes, visited Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee’s Harish Mukherjee Road residence in south Kolkata on Monday.

The surprise police visit came amid a significant scaling down of the extensive security deployment outside Banerjee’s residence following the TMC’s recent defeat in the Assembly elections.

The team entered the heavily monitored premises of the residence named ‘Santiniketan’ and left the building with a desktop computer monitor. While top officers at Lalbazar, the Kolkata police headquarters, remained tight-lipped about the exact nature of the visit, sources said the monitor may be a part of the security equipment provided earlier.

The new state administration led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has removed extensive security measures, perimeter barricades, smart guardrail systems, and a dedicated bomb disposal squad post outside Banerjee’s residence. These measures had previously restricted public access to the neighbourhood for years.

While West Bengal DGP Siddh Nath Gupta had clarified that Banerjee’s personal Z+ category protective cover remains intact under official protocol, the excessive deployment guarding his home and offices has been completely withdrawn, with personnel redeployed to broader public law and order duties.

Recently, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) had issued notices to 17 properties, some of which are associated with Banerjee, regarding alleged building violations.