SC Refuses Relief To Mamata-Led TMC Over Freeze On 4 Indian Bank Accounts, Asks Calcutta HC To Expedite Hearing

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to grant interim relief to the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in its challenge to the freezing of four bank accounts maintained with Indian Bank by the West Bengal Police.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and B Varale declined to exercise its jurisdiction under Article 136 of the Constitution, noting that the main matter remains pending before the Calcutta High Court. The bench, however, requested the High Court to expedite the proceedings.

The plea concerned four Indian Bank accounts that were debit-frozen following a criminal investigation initiated by the West Bengal Police on a complaint filed by MLA Biswanath Das. The matter is separate from the earlier proceedings involving three HDFC Bank accounts of the party.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the AITC faction led by Mamata Banerjee, argued that the freezing of the accounts had severely affected the party’s functioning. He submitted that the party’s audited accounts showed minimum monthly expenditure of Rs 12.15 crore for routine operations, excluding political expenses.

Singhvi also contended that the Calcutta High Court had conflated the Indian Bank accounts with the earlier HDFC accounts and argued that there was no judicial oversight by a magistrate when the accounts were frozen.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, opposed the plea and referred to allegations under investigation, including a cash deposit of Rs 35 crore by a person associated with the party faction. He also referred to the ongoing dispute over which faction represents the TMC.

According to a Live Law report, the Court noted that the earlier orders concerned a different set of accounts and refrained from examining the merits of the allegations. It disposed of the plea while asking the High Court to hear the main case expeditiously.

The dispute arose from a June 18 complaint filed by Das, following which an FIR was registered by the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police. The AITC subsequently challenged the freezing of its accounts before the Calcutta High Court.