The Calcutta High Court on Monday, 20 July rejected a plea by Abhishek Banerjee, general secretary of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour, seeking permission to travel overseas for ophthalmic treatment. The ruling came during the hearing of a hate speech case in which Banerjee stands accused of making violence-inciting remarks ahead of the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly elections.

What the Court Decided

Justice Sougata Bhattacharya, presiding over the single-judge bench, turned down the foreign travel request and instead directed Banerjee to first consult specialists at the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. Justice Bhattacharya indicated that the court would revisit the travel question only after reviewing the medical report from S.S.K.M.'s ophthalmology department, which he directed to constitute a dedicated medical board to examine the Diamond Harbour MP. The next hearing on the travel plea is scheduled for August.

The Medical Argument and State's Opposition

Banerjee's counsel informed the court that his client had been receiving ophthalmic treatment in the United States for the past ten years, and pleaded for continuity of that care. The first question Justice Bhattacharya posed, however, was whether Banerjee had consulted any ophthalmology specialist domestically — a signal of the court's scepticism toward the request.

The state government's additional advocate general, Rajdeep Majumdar, strongly opposed the foreign travel permission. Majumdar argued that several significant cases, including the hate speech matter, remained pending, and that granting overseas travel could complicate the ongoing investigation process.

Interim Protection Extended, Probe Directed to Conclude

In a significant parallel ruling during the same hearing, Justice Bhattacharya extended Banerjee's interim protection from coercive police action — including arrest — in the hate speech case until October. The protection had previously been in place and now stands renewed for another period.

Banerjee is accused of making violence-inciting statements at a campaign rally, including remarks allegedly directed at Union Home Minister Amit Shah. While extending the protection, Justice Bhattacharya simultaneously directed Banerjee to cooperate fully with police in the investigation. The court also directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to conclude its probe into the matter at the earliest.

Background and Broader Context

The case is one of several legal proceedings involving Banerjee in the aftermath of the West Bengal Assembly polls. As the TMC's general secretary and a close associate of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee has been a central figure in the party's electoral campaigns. The hate speech allegations relate to statements made during the campaign period, with the court having earlier granted interim relief to shield him from arrest while the matter was under judicial scrutiny.

The S.S.K.M. medical board's findings will now determine whether the court grants or permanently denies the foreign travel request, making the August hearing a critical date for the Diamond Harbour MP.