The Trinamool Congress moved the Calcutta High Court against the freezing of its bank accounts, but the court refused an urgent hearing. Days earlier, three HDFC Bank accounts allegedly linked to the party, holding nearly Rs.440 crore, were frozen after a dispute over the party treasurer’s claim.
The Trinamool Congress filed a petition with the Calcutta High Court challenging the freezing of its bank accounts. However, its request for an urgent hearing was rejected.
This development follows days after three HDFC Bank accounts reportedly linked to the party and said to hold close to Rs 440 crore were seized.
The disagreement escalated into the banking system after former West Bengal Sports Minister Arup Biswas reportedly sent a letter to the party’s bankers, describing himself as the TMC’s treasurer and requesting that all party accounts be immediately frozen.
In his communication, Biswas reportedly claimed that a breakaway group within the party was trying to take over the organisation’s financial resources and that all transactions should be suspended until the dispute is settled.
Earlier today, Senior Advocate Kishore Datta urged the Court to take up the matter on Tuesday; however, the request was rejected.
TMC is currently facing internal divisions in the wake of its recent defeat in the State Assembly elections. The move to attach the party’s bank accounts was initiated following a complaint submitted by rebel TMC MLA Biswanath Das.
TMC maintains that Das’s complaint lacks any material particulars and contains unfounded allegations of large-scale financial misconduct.
Das had contested and won the recent Assembly polls from the Jaynagar constituency on a TMC ticket and, according to TMC, received Rs.25 lakh from the same bank accounts.
The TMC’s plea argues,
“This shows the completely baseless, mala fide and motivated nature of the complaint,”
The petition further states that without undertaking any preliminary inquiry into the complaint, the police proceeded to impose coercive measures against the party’s bank accounts.
TMC contends that this action has severely hampered the party’s functioning.