Calcutta HC to hear TMC plea on frozen bank accounts today
Synopsis
With the Supreme Court refusing to lift the ED's freeze on three TMC accounts just a day earlier, the Calcutta High Court now faces a parallel plea over four more accounts frozen by West Bengal Police on cybercrime grounds — putting the party's financial lifeline under simultaneous judicial scrutiny at two levels.
Key Takeaways
Calcutta High Court is scheduled to hear the Mamata Banerjee -led TMC faction's petition on 12 August over the police freeze of four Indian Bank accounts .
West Bengal Police froze the accounts citing a cybercrime FIR ; the TMC denies any evidence of illegal transactions.
The party is seeking permission to withdraw funds under a court-appointed Special Officer , mirroring an existing arrangement for three other accounts.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to lift the ED 's freeze on three separate TMC accounts linked to an alleged money laundering probe.
Rebel TMC leader Biswanath Das 's counter-petition — claiming he represented the 'real party' — was disposed of by the Supreme Court.
The Calcutta High Court is set to hear a petition on Wednesday, 12 August filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) challenging West Bengal Police's decision to freeze four bank accounts of the party held at Indian Bank, a public sector lender. The case comes up before the single-judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya later in the day.
Why the Accounts Were Frozen
West Bengal Police ordered the freezing of the four Indian Bank accounts on the basis of an FIR linked to cybercrime. The Mamata Banerjee-led faction, however, contests this action, asserting in its petition that no evidence of illegal transactions through these accounts has been established. The party's legal counsel has sought court permission to withdraw funds from the frozen accounts to meet essential operational expenses.
The Special Officer Arrangement
The petitioner's counsel has indicated willingness to operate under a court-appointed special officer — a mechanism already in place for three other TMC bank accounts held with a private sector bank. Those accounts had faced debit restrictions first at the direction of West Bengal Police and subsequently following instructions from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The party is seeking a similar supervised arrangement for the newly frozen Indian Bank accounts.
Supreme Court Refuses to Intervene
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the ED's freezing of the three private-sector bank accounts of the TMC in connection with an alleged money laundering probe. The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale allowed the existing interim arrangement — under which a court-appointed Special Officer supervises withdrawals for day-to-day expenses — to continue.
The Justice Sundresh-led bench described the Calcutta High Court's earlier arrangement as 'balanced', noting it ensured the party's routine operations were not paralysed while keeping account activity under judicial oversight. The apex court also disposed of a separate petition by rebel TMC leader Biswanath Das, who had challenged the High Court's order, claiming he represented the 'real party'.
What Happens Next
The outcome of Wednesday's hearing before Justice Bhattacharya will determine whether the Mamata Banerjee faction can access funds from the four frozen Indian Bank accounts, even under supervised conditions. With the Supreme Court having upheld the ED's freeze on the other three accounts, the High Court's decision on the cybercrime-linked freeze carries significant implications for the party's financial operations ahead of any upcoming electoral cycle.
Point of View
Or whether it is being used as a parallel pressure mechanism. Either way, the pattern of multi-agency account freezes against a party that controls the state government raises questions about the independence of state police action from central agency coordination.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Trinamool Congress approached the Calcutta High Court?
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction has petitioned the Calcutta High Court to challenge West Bengal Police's decision to freeze four of the party's bank accounts at Indian Bank, citing a cybercrime FIR. The party contends there is no evidence of illegal transactions through these accounts and is seeking permission to withdraw funds for essential expenses.
What is the cybercrime FIR connected to the TMC bank account freeze?
West Bengal Police froze four TMC accounts at Indian Bank based on an FIR related to cybercrime. The exact nature of the alleged offence has not been detailed in publicly available information, and the TMC disputes that any illegal transactions occurred through the frozen accounts.
What did the Supreme Court decide on the ED's freeze of TMC accounts?
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the Enforcement Directorate's freeze of three separate TMC bank accounts linked to an alleged money laundering probe. It allowed the existing arrangement — supervised withdrawals through a court-appointed Special Officer — to continue, calling the High Court's order 'balanced'.
Who is Biswanath Das and why did he file a petition?
Biswanath Das is a rebel Trinamool Congress leader who filed a separate petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court's order, claiming he represented the 'real party'. The Supreme Court disposed of his petition on Tuesday.
What is the court-appointed Special Officer arrangement?
The Calcutta High Court had earlier appointed a Special Officer to supervise withdrawals from three TMC accounts that were subject to debit restrictions. This arrangement allows the party to meet day-to-day operational expenses while keeping the accounts under judicial oversight. The TMC is now seeking a similar mechanism for the four newly frozen Indian Bank accounts.
