A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court has granted conditional and limited access to three Trinamool Congress party accounts, which were under debit restrictions by bank authorities. The court appointed Justice Subrata Talukdar (retired) as a special officer to oversee these accounts until September 30. All expenses by the party must go through the court-appointed officer.
The Trinamool Congress can now use these accounts for daily expenses, including legal costs, under the court’s supervision. Authorized signatories from the party can withdraw funds by signing cheques, with the special officer counter-signing. Detailed expenditure reports must be submitted to the court regularly.
The bank had imposed debit restrictions on the accounts following requests from the West Bengal Police and allegations of potential misuse of funds. The police intervened after concerns raised by party members and a former treasurer about possible corruption and extortion proceeds in the accounts. Despite legal challenges, the restrictions were upheld by the court.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) also stepped in to investigate potential money laundering activities related to the accounts. Recent raids and searches in Kolkata were conducted by the ED as part of their ongoing probe into the matter. The court’s interim order aims to ensure transparency and proper oversight of the party’s financial transactions.
