Supreme Court upholds HC order on TMC frozen bank accounts

The Supreme Court on August 11, 2026, declined to interfere with a Calcutta High Court order that restricted the Trinamool Congress party from fully operating three bank accounts frozen by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering investigation. The bench, comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale, disposed of petitions from both the party's main faction and a rebel leader, stating that the High Court's existing arrangement was balanced and sufficient for the party's day-to-day operations.

The Enforcement Directorate had frozen the three accounts, which held a combined balance of approximately 440 crore, in connection with a probe stemming from a West Bengal Police FIR. The investigation concerns alleged transfers of funds to Carewell Aviation India and an associated entity between April 2023 and June 2026, purportedly for the acquisition of an aircraft and a helicopter.

The Calcutta High Court, in a July 9 order, had appointed former judge Justice Subrata Talukdar as a Special Officer to oversee the accounts until September 30, allowing limited access for daily expenses. On July 20, the court refused to grant the party broader permission to operate the accounts...