The ED had frozen the three TMC bank accounts allegedly containing about ₹440 crore. File.
| Photo Credit: AP
The Supreme Court on Tuesday (August 11, 2026) declined to intervene on behalf of Trinamool Congress (TMC) against a Calcutta High Court order, which restricted the party from operating bank accounts frozen by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with a money laundering investigation.
A Bench headed by Justice M.M. Sundresh took on record a submission by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the ED, that the TMC already had limited access to operational funds.
Mr. Raju drew the Bench’s attention to a July 9, 2026 order of the Calcutta High Court.
The ED’s counsel submitted that the High Court, in this order, had directed the appointment of Justice Subrata Talukdar, a former Calcutta High Court judge, as ‘Special Officer’ till September 30, 2026, to facilitate the operation of the three bank accounts for incurring day-to-day/monthly expenditure to run the political party.
The subsequent July 20, 2026 order of the High Court had also referred to its July 9 order.
“They (the TMC) are already protected… The High Court itself had allowed it in an interim order. There is a fight between the two factions on which is going to operate it…” Mr. Raju said.
The apex court was not concerned with the factional dispute, Justice Sundresh said.
An August 3, 2026 hearing had witnessed the court ask the ED to consider allowing the TMC to access a portion of its funds to cover daily operational expenses.
The apex court remarked that the High Court had taken a “balanced view” of the case, and asked Biswanath Das, a rebel TMC leader, who had challenged the July 9 order, to approach the Special Officer.
“We will dispose of both the matters and leave it to the discretion of the Special Officer appointed by the High Court. Whatever you want to say, say it in the main petition,” Justice Sundresh said.
The ED had frozen the three TMC bank accounts allegedly containing about ₹440 crore. On July 8, the ED separately froze the three accounts as part of a money laundering investigation into alleged transfers of funds to Carewell Aviation India and an associated entity between April 2023 and June 2026, purportedly in connection with the acquisition of an aircraft and a helicopter.
Published – August 11, 2026 05:53 pm IST
