A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, for the second time, denied Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s request for a fast-track hearing on his plea to travel abroad for ophthalmic treatment. Abhishek, the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had initially filed a petition on June 23 seeking court permission for overseas treatment.
Despite the plea for a seven-day foreign trip and a fast-track hearing, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya’s bench on June 24 stated that a quick hearing was unnecessary, with the matter scheduled for a normal course. Abhishek’s counsel revisited the bench on Monday, reiterating the plea for an expedited hearing, which was once again turned down by Justice Bhattacharya.
Abhishek Banerjee, who had faced questioning by the West Bengal Police’s Criminal Investigation Department in a signature-mismatch case, was earlier granted interim protection by Justice Kaushik Chanda. This protection included a restriction on overseas travel without court consent, leading Abhishek to seek the court’s permission for foreign treatment and a speedy hearing.
In 2016, Abhishek Banerjee sustained severe eye injuries in an accident and subsequently explored treatment options abroad after receiving medical care in India.
