Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused interim relief to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC to operate three party bank accounts frozen by the ED.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) froze the three bank accounts, with balances totalling ₹440.42 crore, in connection with its money laundering probe arising out of an FIR lodged by the West Bengal Police over alleged dishonest financial transactions, unlawful collection of money and routing of suspected funds through certain party accounts.
On July 13, Justice Krishna Rao reserved the interim order on the prayer after arguments by the parties in the matter concluded.
Finding no prima facie case in favour of the petitioner Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC, Justice Rao refused an interim order as prayed for by them.
The court directed the ED to file its affidavit-in-opposition within three weeks. The petitioners were granted two weeks thereafter to file their reply, if any.
The matter would be listed for hearing again on August 26, the court directed.
Justice Rao noted that the ED issued an order of freezing the accounts on July 7, but this was not brought to the notice of a coordinate bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, either by the state or by the petitioners, as the central agency was not a party to the said proceeding when the order was passed.
On July 9, Justice Bhattacharyya passed an order appointing a special officer to facilitate the operation of the three bank accounts by the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the TMC for their day-to-day and legal expenses only.
The petitioners filed the present petition challenging the initiation of ECIR (Enforcement Case Information Report), an equivalent of an FIR, proceeding by the ED.
According to officials, the ED's preliminary investigation found that around ₹160 crore was transferred from the TMC's bank accounts to Carewell Aviation India Pvt. Ltd. and its related entity between April 2023 and June 2026.
The company is alleged to have further routed ₹82.96 crore (between 2023 and 2026) to another newly incorporated entity.
It was found that a "significant" amount was transferred to this entity. Out of this, ₹112 crore was used for purchasing an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet and an AgustaWestland 109SP helicopter, the officials said.