Demolition drive on Shakespeare Sarani on Monday. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

The civic authorities on Monday began demolishing three illegal floors of a five-storeyed building on Shakespeare Sarani.

“Owner Abidur Rahman had added the illegal floors to the building at 64 Shakespeare Sarani over the past year,” said Dipankar Dey, the mayoral council member, buildings.

Abidur, who lives in Dubai and visits Calcutta once a year, had rented out parts of the building close to the AJC Bose Road-Shakespeare Sarani crossing.

Zaidur Rahman, the additional superintendent of police (Hooghly), is a brother of Abidur. “My brother had bought the property a couple of years ago... There is no working relation between us anymore,” stated Zaidur.

An officer of Beniapukur police station said two other brothers of Abidur live in the building with their families.

Mayoral council member Dey said the demolition drive was initiated after the owner ignored a notice from the Calcutta Municipal Corporation to pull down the illegal portions. “The plan was firmed up last week at a meeting between the civic body and the local police,” he added.

The demolition squad was accompanied on Monday by a police contingent. Initially, there was no resistance, but then a mob gathered at the spot and allegedly tried to heckle the civic workers.

“We stopped work midway. The demolition will resume on Tuesday,” said an official in the civic building department.

Dey said the civic body has identified several illegal buildings across the city which will be demolished in phases over the next six months.

“We will not allow any illegal structures in the city,” he stressed.

Local residents blamed a section of policemen and officials in the civic building department for the mushrooming of unauthorised buildings in the Park Street-Shakespeare Sarani-Park Circus belt.

“Both police and civic officials get a ‘cut’ for turning a blind eye to the spurt in illegal constructions. Demolition drives will not help unless the nexus is broken and the corrupt officials are punished,” said a resident.