Plainclothes personnel entered Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee’s multi-storeyed residence on Harish Mukherjee Road and left about an hour later on Monday afternoon.

They came out not with Abhishek, but with a television monitor.

One of them, struggling to carry the heavy device, made his way through a crowd of reporters without commenting.

Police sources said it was part of a security scale-down at the residence that began a fortnight ago, after the state withdrew his Z-plus security cover.

“The television monitor that was taken away was part of the earlier security arrangement for the MP. Feeds from CCTV cameras placed around Shantiniketan, the residence at 188A Harish Mukherjee Road, were monitored round the clock on this screen,” a senior officer said.

Sources in Bengal Police said Abhishek was upgraded to Z-plus security in 2015 after an intruder slapped him on stage during a political rally at Chandipur in East Midnapore.

Z-plus is among the highest security categories in the country, involving heavy deployment of personnel, advanced communication systems and bulletproof vehicles.

Since the downgrade — Abhishek now has the standard security cover for MPs — the police have removed barricades along the perimeter of the residence, smart guard rail systems and a dedicated bomb disposal unit.

The enhanced security outside 188A Harish Mukherjee Road had restricted public movement in the area for several years. Sources said the monitor was among the last pieces of equipment retained after the downgrade.

“The CCTV system covered traffic movement around the residence, as well as people entering and exiting the premises. The feed from multiple cameras was displayed on a grid on this monitor,” the officer said.

It was also linked to a baggage scanner installed earlier at the building entrance.

Officers left with the monitor in a vehicle marked “Kolkata Police”, while uniformed personnel controlled the crowd outside. It was not known whether Abhishek was present when the team arrived at the residence.

Senior Kolkata Police officers at Lalbazar declined to comment on the visit or why the team was sent to Shantiniketan. Where the monitor was taken was not immediately known.

Till late at night, the Trinamool had not issued any statement on the police visit. Just before the officers left, a car exited the garage and drove away from the premises.

The police visit came a week after the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) issued notices to 17 properties owned by or linked to Abhishek, asking for building plan approvals. The Harish Mukherjee Road residence is among those under scrutiny.

Abhishek has sought time to submit the required details. On Monday, KMC officials said he had been granted “around 10 days” to comply.