The cyber police in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district have launched a detailed investigation into three bank accounts belonging to the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) that were placed under a debit freeze following police directions, officials said on 23 June. The probe, handled by the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station under Bidhannagar City Police, is examining inward and outward transactions spanning the past five years.

Scope of the Investigation

Investigators are scrutinising the sources of incoming funds and tracing the destinations of outgoing transfers from the three accounts. According to officials familiar with the matter, the probe also covers the dates on which the accounts were opened, the names under which they were registered, and the identities of authorised signatories who operated them over the years.

The transaction records are being closely analysed against allegations that extortion proceeds and illegal commission money were deposited into these accounts. Investigators are also examining claims that funds generated through such activities were subsequently routed for other unlawful purposes, according to reports.

What Triggered the FIR

The investigation follows formal complaints filed by several rebel TMC legislators at the Bidhannagar Cyber Crime Police Station. In their complaints, the legislators alleged that money collected through extortion had been parked in the three accounts. On the basis of these complaints, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) and initiated the probe. Imposing a debit freeze on all three accounts was described as the first phase of the investigation.

Separately, Aroop Biswas — the party's former treasurer and former sports and power minister in the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government — had written to the private-sector bank requesting that the accounts be frozen. In his communication, he cited a dispute over control of party funds arising from an internal conflict within the TMC.

Mamata-Abhishek Faction Moves Calcutta High Court

A faction of the TMC that remains loyal to former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee approached the Calcutta High Court on Monday, challenging the decision to freeze the accounts. In its petition, the faction sought the court's intervention to determine under whose authority and on what legal grounds the debit freeze was imposed.

Broader Context

The dispute lays bare a deepening internal fracture within the Trinamool Congress, with rival factions contesting control over party finances through both police complaints and judicial channels. This is a notable escalation — the accounts in question belong to one of West Bengal's most powerful political organisations, and the allegations, if substantiated, could have significant implications for the party's financial accountability. The Calcutta High Court's response to the petition is expected to be a key development to watch in the coming days.