The West Bengal Police has frozen 12 additional bank accounts linked to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), taking the total number of frozen party accounts to 15 with an alleged corpus of around Rs 1,000 crore. The latest action comes just a day after the Calcutta High Court allowed the party limited access to three of its HDFC Bank accounts, subject to strict conditions, even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) separately froze the same accounts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Rs 1,000 crore under scrutiny
According to The Indian Express, the 12 newly frozen accounts are spread across multiple public and private sector banks. Quoting senior police officials, the report said that investigators have sought details of the account holders and the financial transactions carried out through these accounts as part of an ongoing probe.
With the latest action, as many as 15 TMC bank accounts holding an alleged Rs 1,000 crore have now been frozen.
High Court allows limited operation of three accounts
On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court permitted the TMC to partially operate three HDFC Bank accounts that reportedly hold around Rs 440 crore. The court appointed retired Justice Subrata Talukdar as a special officer to oversee transactions until September 30.
Under the interim arrangement, the party can use the funds only for routine administrative expenses, staff salaries, and legal expenses.
All payments must be made through cheques countersigned by the special officer, who will receive an honorarium of Rs 1.25 lakh per month, payable from the party’s funds.
How the dispute began
It can be seen that the financial dispute emerged after the TMC’s defeat in the Assembly elections. A rebel faction comprising TMC MLAs and leaders reportedly approached the bank seeking a freeze on the party’s accounts, citing a “serious dispute” within the organisation. The rebel group also lodged a complaint with the cybercrime unit of the Bidhannagar Police, requesting an investigation into the source of funds in the accounts.
Police subsequently registered an FIR and began their investigation, leading to the freezing of the accounts.
ED freeze adds another hurdle
Despite securing interim relief from the High Court, the TMC is yet to access the alleged Rs 440 crore because the ED has also frozen the same three accounts under the PMLA. It is reportedly said that the ED action forms part of its investigation into an alleged Rs 160 crore money laundering case involving a private aviation company and the purchase of an Embraer business jet and an Agusta helicopter.
The TMC has challenged the ED’s order before the Calcutta High Court.
Senior advocate Kishore Datta sought an urgent hearing before Justice Krishna Rao, arguing that while the earlier High Court order addressed the police action in the predicate offence, the fresh petition concerns the ED’s separate proceedings under the PMLA. The matter is scheduled to be heard on Monday.