TMC Loyal Side At Calcutta HC For No Access To 3 Frozen Bank Accounts

Kolkata: A day after getting an interim relief from the Calcutta High Court to run its three frozen bank accounts through an HC-appointed special officer to meet daily expenses, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and her loyalists again moved the HC for failing to operate them still due to a similar action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in its money laundering probe.

Their counsel Kishor Dutta drew the attention of Justice Krishna Rao at the HC to their grievance on Friday. He alleged that Ms Banerjee's followers can not access their party's three accounts at a private bank as the ED also froze them with a total balance of ₹440.42 crores under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act recently following the steps of the Bidhannagar City Police.

Mr Dutt further pointed out that the stalemate unfolded even after Justice Sougata Bhattacharya of the HC granted Ms Banerjee's loyalists limited access on Thursday to the three bank accounts through supervision of a special officer, Subrata Talukdar, also a retired judge. After hearing his submission, Justice Rao allowed them to file a petition.

The matter is expected to be heard next week. Meanwhile, Ms Banerjee's camp suffered yet another blow as the state police froze 12 more bank accounts of their party in two phases. These accounts, which exist in some PSU and private banks in and around Kolkata, are estimated to have nearly ₹1000 crores in deposits, according to sources.

The latest action has left the former chief minister and her followers in a tight situation, for the first time in the history of TMC, as they stare at the expenditure behind their plans to organise their annual mega party event, Shaheed Dibos rally, on July 21 in the city.