Calcutta High Court refuses Trinamool Congress’ plea to operate bank accounts frozen by ED

In a setback to the Trinamool Congress, the Calcutta High Court on Monday (July 20, 2026) refused the party’s plea seeking permission to operate three bank accounts containing around ₹440 crore that were frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case involving alleged transfers of party funds for the purchase of an aircraft and a helicopter.

The Bidhannagar police had earlier frozen the same three accounts on June 19, in response to an FIR lodged by MLA Sandipan Saha, who now belongs to the Ritabrata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress. In the FIR, he alleged illegal fund diversion from those accounts.

However, on July 9, a Bench led by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya had directed the police to let the Mamata Banerjee-led faction use money from the accounts for daily administrative purposes under the supervision of a special judicial officer. 

Monday’s (July 20) order came in response to another plea filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction on July 10, challenging the ED’s decision to freeze the same accounts following a fresh FIR registered by the agency on July 8. 

“The ED, after analysing the bank accounts of the petitioner, finds that substantial transfers of funds to various entities, most prominent being the Carewell group. The ED has not imposed a debit freeze on the other 36 accounts of the petitioner, in which an amount of ₹164 crore is lying. This Court did not find any prima facie case and balance of convenience and inconvenience in favour of the petitioners. In view of the above, the interim order as prayed for by the petitioners is refused,” said the court presided over by Justice Krishna Rao. 

The matter has been listed for further hearing on August 26. The court has directed the ED to file an affidavit regarding the investigation within three weeks. 

The party’s 12 more bank accounts across several private and nationalised banks, containing over ₹1,000 crore, have also been frozen by the Bidhannagar Police on July 10.