The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court contesting the freezing of three of its key bank accounts that collectively hold approximately ₹440 crore. The move comes as the party grapples with deepening internal divisions following its significant setbacks in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections.
The accounts, maintained with HDFC Bank, were placed under a debit freeze after complaints from rebel party leaders and former treasurer Aroop Biswas. Biswas, a one-time close associate of party supremo Mamata Banerjee, reportedly wrote to the bank expressing concerns over potential misuse of funds amid the ongoing split in the party's legislative and parliamentary wings. Rebel MLAs aligned with Leader of Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee also approached police authorities, urging a probe into the sources of the deposits and alleging irregularities.
According to sources, the Bidhannagar police cyber cell acted on a related FIR, prompting the bank to implement the freeze. The party has raised questions about the legality of the action, arguing that such measures on audited political party funds should require court orders and that the bank complied without sufficient verification.
In its petition, the TMC is understood to be challenging the police directive and the bank's response, seeking to unfreeze the accounts and questioning the process. “This shows the completely baseless, mala fide and motivated nature of the complaint,” the TMC has argued. The High Court declined to grant an urgent hearing or immediate interim relief on Monday, allowing the freeze to remain in place for now while the matter proceeds.
The matter is listed for hearing before Justice Saugata Bhattacharya on June 25, Thursday. Senior Advocate Kishore Datta had urged the Court to hear the case on Tuesday. However, the request was declined.
This development comes in the backdrop of escalating power struggle within the TMC. After losing its long-held grip on the state government, a faction of MLAs and leaders has broken away, leading to disputes over party control, including finances. Around 60 out of 80 elected TMC MLAs have formed their own group and selected their own leader of opposition, defying the choice of party supremo Mamata Banerjee. The party has issued a show-cause notice to Biswas over his letter to the bank and maintains that its accounts are fully compliant with legal and audit standards. Senior leaders have described the episode as politically motivated harassment. The freeze could impact the party's day-to-day operations and funding strategies ahead of future electoral battles.
