The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by the Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) faction. The party sought urgent permission to operate four debit-frozen accounts maintained with Indian Bank in Kolkata.
The apex court declined to interfere with an earlier interim decision of the Calcutta High Court. However, the bench requested the high court to expedite its final hearing on the merits of the dispute, according to a legal report by LiveLaw.
Heavy Financial Strain on Party Operations
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared before the bench on behalf of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. He argued that freezing the party’s four accounts at the Harish Mukherjee Road branch has paralyzed daily administrative functions.
Singhvi submitted that the party requires at least ₹12.15 crore every month to handle essential office expenses and staff salaries. Furthermore, he noted that the account freeze severely harms the political organization’s routine operations across West Bengal.
Consequently, the party urged the top court to grant interim financial access while broader criminal investigations continue, as detailed by The Indian Express.
State and Complainants Oppose Unfreezing Plea
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta strongly opposed any immediate relief on behalf of the state administration. He informed the court that state police froze the funds during an ongoing criminal investigation into financial irregularities.
Mehta pointed out that the dispute involves internal factional claims over who represents the authentic Trinamool Congress. In addition, Senior Advocate K. Parameshwar, representing the original complainant, reminded the court that the Election Commission of India froze the party symbol on September 17 pending formal adjudication.
Therefore, opposing counsel argued that opening the frozen accounts could allow disputed funds to be siphoned away before courts resolve ownership claims, according to coverage by The Hindu.
Apex Court Upholds Existing High Court Mechanism
The Supreme Court bench observed that the Calcutta High Court has already created a balanced mechanism to handle urgent expenses. Under that interim arrangement, a court-appointed Special Officer oversees verified day-to-day administrative payments.
The judges noted that entertaining parallel writ petitions in New Delhi would only delay the main trial. Meanwhile, the bench affirmed that the high court remains the proper judicial forum to review police evidence and forensic bank statements.
As a result, the apex court dismissed the appeal but asked the high court to decide the primary challenge without unnecessary delay, as noted by Rediff News.
Deepening Legal and Political Crisis in Bengal
The dismissal delivers a major setback to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress as it navigates intense political and financial pressures.
The party now faces simultaneous battles before the Calcutta High Court and the Election Commission. Until the high court delivers a final ruling or eases debit restrictions, the party must continue clearing routine office expenses under the strict supervision of the court-appointed officer.
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