The security of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s house was breached on Sunday as a man was found lying adjoining her residence at 30B Harish Chatterjee Street in south Kolkata’s Kalighat.
Police said the man had apparently sneaked into the area, a high-security zone with several layers of protection, in the early hours and slept off.
The man was later handed over to Kalighat police station.
“Today, an incident of security breach was reported at the honourable chief minister’s residence. One person somehow sneaked into the honourable chief minister’s residence complex with mischievous intention,” said Murlidhar Sharma, joint commissioner, crime, Kolkata police. “The chief minister’s security and enforcement agencies have taken serious cognisance of it.”
Senior officers said the man had been detained for interrogation.
Following an alleged attack on the chief minister during her campaign in Barulia Bazar in Nandigram in March, the Centre decided to upgrade her security to Z+ category.
Soon after the news reached the city police headquarters, police commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal reached Kalighat along with a group of senior officers to take stock of the security around Mamata’s house.
Sources said the team later met Manoj Malviya, the West Bengal director-general of police, to discuss the CM’s security.
“The incident underlines the need for an immediate security audit around the chief minister’s house. Officers have started working on it,” said an officer.