Calcutta HC orders blood bank probe report by August 14
Synopsis
Eleven private blood banks in West Bengal are under investigation for allegedly selling blood and plasma to other states without authorisation. The Calcutta High Court has now stepped in, directing the Health Department to report on its probe by 14 August — a case that could expose systemic failures in the regulation of private blood banking across the state.
Key Takeaways
The Calcutta High Court on 7 August sought a progress report from the West Bengal Health Department on its probe into 11 private blood banks .
Justice Krshna Rao has set 14 August as the deadline for the report; the next hearing is on 19 August .
The 11 blood banks are banned from organising donation camps statewide until the State Blood Transfusion Board completes its investigation.
Allegations include the illegal sale of red blood cells and plasma to other states at premium prices and failure to obtain mandatory permissions for camps.
Health Department officials have already raided locations across Kolkata and districts, seizing key documents.
The ban does not cover collection of blood samples — only the organisation of donation camps.
A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday, 7 August directed the West Bengal Health Department to submit a progress report on its ongoing investigation into 11 private blood banks accused of serious irregularities, including the alleged illegal sale of blood and plasma to other states. Justice Krshna Rao, presiding over the matter, has set 14 August as the deadline for the report, with the next hearing scheduled for 19 August.
Background: What Triggered the Probe
Earlier this month, the West Bengal Health Department imposed a ban prohibiting all 11 private blood banks from organising blood donation camps anywhere in the state until the investigation by the State Blood Transfusion Board is concluded. The ban followed search operations conducted by Health Department officials, who raided multiple locations across Kolkata and surrounding districts, seizing several key documents in the process.
According to reports, some of the blood bank operators had not obtained the mandatory permissions from the Health Department before conducting donation camps. Investigators are also examining allegations that red blood cells and plasma collected within West Bengal were being dispatched to other states at premium prices — a practice that, if confirmed, would constitute a serious violation of blood banking regulations.
Court Proceedings and the Challenge
One of the 11 banned blood banks approached the Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench challenging the ban. The matter was heard during the second half of Friday's proceedings before Justice Rao. At the conclusion of the hearing, the judge directed the Health Department to place its investigation progress report before the bench by 14 August.
Notably, the ban as notified does not extend to the collection of blood samples — only to the organisation of donation camps. The Health Department has separately instructed the State Blood Transfusion Board to remain alert to any significant blood transactions occurring across the state.
Scope of Alleged Irregularities
The irregularities under scrutiny are wide-ranging. Beyond the alleged cross-state sale of blood components at premium rates, investigators are looking into lapses in blood collection procedures and failures to comply with regulatory requirements for running donation camps. Officials have not publicly named the specific blood banks involved, but the investigation is described as active and ongoing.
This is not the first time West Bengal's private blood banking sector has faced regulatory scrutiny, but the scale of the current probe — covering 11 banks simultaneously and involving potential inter-state commerce in blood products — marks a significant escalation. The outcome of the 19 August hearing is expected to determine whether the ban is sustained, modified, or challenged further.
Point of View
And the outcome could set a precedent for how India's patchwork of state-level blood bank regulators handles commercial misconduct.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Calcutta High Court intervened in the West Bengal blood bank case?
The Calcutta High Court intervened after one of the 11 banned private blood banks challenged the Health Department's ban on organising donation camps. Justice Krshna Rao is now monitoring the investigation and has directed the Health Department to submit a progress report by 14 August.
What are the allegations against the 11 private blood banks in West Bengal?
The banks are accused of conducting blood donation camps without mandatory permissions, irregularities in blood collection procedures, and allegedly selling red blood cells and plasma collected in West Bengal to other states at premium prices. Officials are actively investigating all these allegations.
What does the ban on the 11 blood banks cover?
The West Bengal Health Department has banned all 11 private blood banks from organising blood donation camps anywhere in the state until the State Blood Transfusion Board's investigation is complete. The ban explicitly does not apply to the routine collection of blood samples.
When is the next hearing in the Calcutta High Court on this matter?
The next date of hearing before Justice Krshna Rao's bench has been fixed for 19 August. The Health Department is required to submit its investigation progress report to the court by 14 August.
Who is conducting the investigation into the blood banks?
The investigation is being led by the West Bengal Health Department in coordination with the State Blood Transfusion Board. Officials have already conducted raids at multiple locations in Kolkata and across districts, and have seized important documents as part of the probe.
