Calcutta HC
NEW DELHI: The Calcutta high court on Monday refused interim relief to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), rejecting its plea to operate three party bank accounts frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).Finding no prima facie case in favour of the petitioners, Justice Krishna Rao dismissed the request for interim relief.The court directed the ED to file its affidavit-in-opposition within three weeks, after which the petitioners will have two weeks to submit their reply, if any. The matter will be heard again on August 26.The ED had earlier frozen the three bank accounts, which collectively held Rs 440.42 crore, as part of a money laundering probe linked to an FIR registered by the West Bengal Police over alleged dishonest financial transactions, unlawful collection of funds, and suspected routing of money through certain party accounts.Justice Rao also observed that the ED’s freezing order, issued on July 7, was not brought to the notice of a coordinate bench headed by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya. The court noted that neither the state nor the petitioners informed the bench about the order, as the central agency was not a party to the earlier proceedings.On July 9, Justice Bhattacharyya had appointed a special officer to facilitate the operation of the three accounts by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC for day-to-day and legal expenses. The petitioners had approached the court challenging the ED’s initiation of an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the equivalent of an FIR, in the matter.According to ED officials, the agency’s preliminary investigation found that around Rs 160 crore was transferred from TMC bank accounts to Carewell Aviation India Pvt. Ltd. and its related entity between April 2023 and June 2026.The company allegedly routed Rs 82.96 crore to another newly incorporated entity during the same period, officials claimed.Investigators found that a “significant” amount was transferred to the entity, of which Rs 112 crore was allegedly used to purchase an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet and an AgustaWestland 109SP helicopter, officials added.(With PTI inputs)
