Trinamool Congress Challenges Bank Account Freezes in High Court

Kolkata, June 22: The Trinamool Congress has filed a petition in the High Court challenging the freezing of three of its bank accounts by the police. The party is seeking judicial intervention to determine the authority and reasons behind the account freezes.

Trinamool’s lawyers requested permission to present the case before Justice Sougata Bhattacharya’s bench. The court accepted the application, and formal hearings are expected to commence later this week. Reports indicate that the three accounts hold a total of ₹440 crore.

Recently, party treasurer Arup Biswas wrote to a private bank requesting the freezing of the accounts due to internal disputes over the control of party funds. Following a significant loss in the state assembly elections, Trinamool announced organizational changes on June 5, appointing former MP Subhashish Chakraborty as the new treasurer in place of Biswas.

However, in a recent letter to the bank, Arup claimed he still holds the position of party treasurer. The Trinamool Congress has multiple accounts at the Central Plaza branch of a private bank in Kolkata. According to their official communication, transactions in these accounts have been temporarily suspended, causing turmoil within the party. Subsequently, leadership issued a show-cause notice to the former minister.

In his three-page response, Arup Biswas raised several questions regarding the party’s internal transactions, asserting that while he managed the accounts, all financial dealings occurred without his knowledge.

Ritabrata Banerjee, leader of the rebel legislators and opposition leader in the state assembly, supported the letter, questioning the presence of illegal commission funds in the accounts. He echoed Arup Biswas’s call for an investigation.

On June 19, nearly ten rebel legislators from Trinamool requested the Bidhannagar South police station to freeze the bank accounts immediately. Following this, an investigation was initiated, leading to the freezing of the three accounts. The Trinamool Congress, led by Mamata Banerjee, subsequently filed a petition in the High Court regarding this matter.

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