Over Rs 500 crore in 12 additional bank accounts of Trinamool where debit restrictions imposed
Kolkata: The 12 additional accounts held by the Trinamool Congress in different public and private sector commercial banks, where debit restrictions were issued from Friday following instructions of the West Bengal Police, have deposits to the tune of Rs 500 crore.
Sources aware of the development said that the combined deposits amount with these 12 bank accounts on which debit restrictions have been imposed from Friday is over Rs 550 crore.
Earlier, debit instructions were imposed on three other accounts held by the Trinamool Congress with a private sector bank, first following the instructions from the West Bengal Police subsequently from the Enforcement Directorate.
The combined deposits amount in these three accounts, on which debit restriction were imposed earlier, was Rs 440 crore.
This means that the combined deposit amount in the 15 bank accounts on which debit instructions have been imposed in two phases, so far is near about Rs 1,000 crore.
However, on Thursday, a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted the Trinamool Congress faction, led by Mamata Banerjee, conditional and limited access to three party accounts that have been subjected to debit restrictions by the bank authorities in the first phase.
The court appointed Justice Subrata Talukdar (Retired) as the special officer to operate these three bank accounts till September 30. All expenditure that the former ruling party in West Bengal wants to do will have to be routed through the court-appointed special officers.
The series of debit restrictions on different bank accounts held by Trinamool Congress started last month following instructions from the West Bengal Police after two parallel developments.
The first was a letter from the party’s former treasurer and former West Bengal Sports and Power Minister Aroop Biswas to the bank seeking a freeze on the accounts over apprehensions that the funds could be misused.
Subsequently, MLAs belonging to the “rebel but majority” faction of the Trinamool Congress Legislature Party, led by expelled MLA Ritabrata Banerjee, approached the West Bengal Police with a similar request. They also alleged that the accounts could contain proceeds of corruption and extortion.
Taking note of the allegations and complaints, the police directed the bank to impose debit restrictions on the accounts.
The minority faction of the party, led by former West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee, challenged the move before the Calcutta High Court. However, the court declined to grant interim relief and did not lift the restrictions.
Thereafter, the ED initiated its own investigation into the matter, taking cognisance of allegations that proceeds of corruption and extortion might have been routed through the accounts, thereby bringing the matter within the ambit of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
On Tuesday, ED officials conducted raids and searches at five locations in Kolkata in connection with the agency’s investigation into the matter.