1 hr ago
Supreme Court Refuses TMC Relief Over Four Frozen Accounts
The Supreme Court considered a request from Mamata Banerjee’s TMC faction.
The party wanted to use four bank accounts that police had frozen.
The accounts reportedly hold about Rs 804 crore.
The party said the freeze was stopping it from doing its regular work.
The government opposed the request and referred to allegations being investigated.
A separate disagreement concerns which TMC group is entitled to represent the party.
The Supreme Court said it could not decide who should receive the money while that dispute is pending.
It did not decide whether the allegations are true.
Instead, it asked the Calcutta High Court to hear the case quickly.
The Supreme Court declined interim relief to the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction over four frozen Indian Bank accounts.
The accounts reportedly contain around Rs 804 crore and were debit-frozen by the West Bengal Police.
The Court said entitlement to the funds could not be decided while the party-symbol dispute remains pending before the Election Commission.
The TMC argued that the freeze had paralysed its operations and lacked proper judicial oversight.
The Supreme Court declined to examine the allegations’ merits and asked the Calcutta High Court to expedite the main hearing.
- Who
- The Supreme Court, the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress faction, and the West Bengal government were involved.
- What
- The Supreme Court refused to allow operation of four debit-frozen Indian Bank accounts and asked the Calcutta High Court to expedite the case.
- Where
- The dispute concerns four Indian Bank accounts and proceedings before the Calcutta High Court, following action by West Bengal Police.
- When
- The Supreme Court issued its decision on Thursday; the complaint was filed on June 18, and the High Court had ruled on August 27.
- Why
- The accounts were frozen during a criminal investigation, while the Court also noted that the wider dispute over the TMC symbol and entitlement to funds remains pending.
TMC Faction’s Position
State and Court’s Position
Effect of the account freeze
TMC Faction’s Position
The Mamata Banerjee-led faction said freezing the accounts had paralysed party functioning and hindered political activities.
State and Court’s Position
The State opposed immediate relief while the allegations connected with the accounts remain under investigation.
Legal basis for freezing
TMC Faction’s Position
The faction argued that the FIRs contained legal deficiencies and that the accounts were frozen without judicial oversight by a magistrate.
State and Court’s Position
The State defended its position by referring to the criminal investigation and allegations, while the Supreme Court declined to rule on their merits.
Who is entitled to the funds
TMC Faction’s Position
The faction sought permission to operate the accounts and challenged the freeze affecting its finances.
State and Court’s Position
The Court said entitlement to the funds could not be decided while the dispute over the TMC symbol and its legitimate faction remains pending before the Election Commission.
Key facts
- Accounts involved
- Four Indian Bank accounts maintained by the party faction
- Reported funds
- Around Rs 804 crore
- Police action
- The accounts were debit-frozen by the West Bengal Police
- Supreme Court bench
- Justices MM Sundresh and B/PB Varale, as described inconsistently in the reports
- Party argument
- The freeze had severely affected or paralysed routine party operations
- State’s submission
- The State referred to allegations under investigation, including a reported Rs 35 crore cash deposit linked to a person associated with the faction
- Next step
- The Calcutta High Court was asked to hear the main matter expeditiously
Quotes
Abhishek Manu Singhvi
Senior advocate representing the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction
“If the police force of a state where the ruling party is opposed to me… send the police and they freeze all accounts, that's the best way of stopping political activities”
telegraphindia.com
“We refrain from going into the merits. We are not inclined to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 136. We request high court to expedite the hearing.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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