Calcutta High Court denies Banerjee travel for eye treatment

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, August 5, 2026, dismissed a petition by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee seeking permission to travel abroad for specialized eye treatment. The court's decision came after Banerjee's legal team refused a judicial directive for him to be examined by a medical board at Kolkata's state-run SSKM Hospital to assess whether the necessary treatment could be obtained within India.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, presiding over the case, dismissed the application following arguments from both sides. The judge had proposed that a three-doctor panel at SSKM's ophthalmology department examine Banerjee on August 6 and provide a report. The court stated that if the board concluded the treatment was unavailable in India, it would then consider the request for foreign travel. However, Banerjee's counsel stated on instructions that the MP would not appear before the SSKM medical board, leading to the petition's dismissal.

Senior Advocate Rebecca John, representing Banerjee, argued that her client needed to continue treatment with his established specialists abroad, noting he had previously undergone two surgeries in the United States. She emphasized...