Trinamool Leaders Approach Calcutta HC Against ED Action On Party Accounts

The Trinamool Congress faction led by former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has approached the Calcutta High Court challenging actions taken by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against three party bank accounts containing a combined deposit of around Rs 440 crore. The move comes amid parallel investigations by the ED and the West Bengal Police into the accounts.

The dispute began after debit restrictions were placed on the three bank accounts last month by the concerned bank authorities following instructions from the state police. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction challenged the restrictions before the Calcutta High Court, which on Thursday granted the party conditional and limited access to the accounts through an order passed by Justice Sougata Bhattacharya.

However, the legal relief was followed by fresh complications as the ED, which is investigating the matter from a money laundering perspective, also decided to freeze the same three accounts earlier this month. Seeking relief from the ED’s action, the Trinamool Congress faction filed another petition before a separate single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court headed by Justice Krishna Rao.

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Justice Rao’s bench has admitted the petition, and the matter is scheduled to be heard on July 13. The party’s latest legal challenge focuses on the ED’s decision to freeze the accounts despite the earlier proceedings involving restrictions imposed by state police authorities.

Meanwhile, restrictions have reportedly been placed on 12 additional bank accounts held by the Trinamool Congress across various public and private sector banks following instructions from the West Bengal Police. Sources familiar with the development said the combined deposits in these newly restricted accounts are estimated to be more than Rs 550 crore. With restrictions now imposed on 15 Trinamool Congress bank accounts in two phases, the total amount involved is estimated to be close to Rs 1,000 crore. The matter has created a complex legal situation due to the involvement of multiple investigative agencies and ongoing proceedings before the Calcutta High Court.

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