SC dismisses Mamata-led TMC faction’s plea to operate four debit-frozen bank accounts

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction seeking permission to operate four bank accounts that have been debit-frozen, with around Rs 804 crore held in them.

A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and PB Varale said it was not inclined to interfere with the Calcutta High Court's order refusing interim relief to the faction. The top court noted that the Election Commission has frozen the party's symbol and that the larger question of which faction is entitled to the funds remains pending adjudication.

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"We refrain from going into the merits. We are not inclined to exercise our jurisdiction under Article 136. We request high court to expedite the hearing," the bench said.

The Calcutta High Court had on August 27 declined to allow the Mamata-led faction to operate the four accounts, observing that such a direction would undermine its earlier order allowing the political party to meet its day-to-day expenses. The TMC had sought access to the four accounts maintained with public sector banks, which were debit-frozen by the West Bengal Police, arguing that there were lacunae in the FIRs forming the basis for the action.