Calcutta HC's double blow to Mamata Banerjee-led TMC

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC on Monday received a double blow from the Calcutta High Court. The Court denied interim permission to operate three of the party's bank accounts frozen by the ED and rejected the plea of Abhishek Banerjee, seeking permission to travel overseas for ophthalmic treatment.
The Calcutta High Court refused the Mamata Banerjee faction of the Trinamool Congress interim permission to operate three of the party's bank accounts frozen by the Enforcement Directorate. The ED froze the three bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress with balances amounting to Rs 440.42 crore in connection with its probe based on an FIR lodged by the state police in alleged dishonest financial dealings, unlawful collection of money, and routing of suspected funds through certain bank accounts of the party.Justice Krishna Rao had on July 13 reserved the interim order on the prayer after arguments by the parties in the matter were concluded.
The ED case relates to alleged transfer of funds to Carewell Aviation India and its related entity between April 2023 to June 2026 in connection with alleged purchase of an aircraft and a helicopter. The three bank accounts, with combined balances amounting to Rs 440.42 crore, were frozen by the ED in connection with its investigation based on an FIR lodged by the state police over alleged dishonest financial dealings, unlawful collection of money, and routing of suspected funds through certain bank accounts of the party.
A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court om Monday rejected the plea of Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, seeking permission to travel overseas for ophthalmic treatment. During the hearing of a case where Banerjee has been accused of making hate speeches before the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls, the counsel of the Diamond Harbour MP pleaded for permission for his client to travel abroad for ophthalmic treatment. However, Justice Sougata Bhattacharya rejected the plea for foreign travel. Instead, he advised Banerjee to first consult experts from the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.