New Delhi, Aug 2, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and its Rajya Sabha member Dola Sen challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) decision to freeze three of the party’s bank accounts as part of an alleged money laundering investigation.
According to the apex court’s cause list, the matter has been listed before a Bench comprising Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale.
The petition challenges a July 20 order of the Calcutta High Court, which declined to grant interim relief against the ED’s action under Section 17(1-A) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The case pertains to three HDFC Bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress that were placed under debit restrictions after the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) on June 23. The ECIR was based on a predicate FIR lodged by the Cyber Crime Police Station in Bidhannagar.
While refusing interim relief, the Calcutta High Court held that no prima facie case had been made out for interference at that stage. The court also noted that the ED had identified substantial transfers of funds from the party’s accounts to various entities, including the Carewell Group, observing that the legality of those transactions would be examined during the appropriate proceedings rather than at the interim stage.
The High Court further recorded that only six of the party’s bank accounts had been frozen, while 36 other accounts, reportedly holding deposits exceeding Rs 164 crore, remained operational.
At the same time, the High Court rejected the ED’s objection to the maintainability of the writ petition, holding that it had been validly filed through an authorised representative of the Trinamool Congress. It also observed that the availability of an alternative statutory remedy did not prevent the High Court from examining allegations of arbitrariness in the initiation of the ECIR.
The ED’s action followed allegations of suspicious financial transactions amounting to approximately Rs 164 crore. Before the agency imposed restrictions, the accounts had already been placed under debit restrictions by the bank on the directions of the West Bengal Police.
The original complaint alleged that funds generated through illegal activities, including misuse of influence, dishonest financial transactions and suspected unlawful collection of money, had been routed through the accounts. Based on the complaint, the Cyber Crime Police registered an FIR under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act, following which the ED initiated proceedings under the PMLA.
The Trinamool Congress has contended that the freezing of its accounts was arbitrary and mechanical, arguing that the agency failed to identify any specific proceeds of crime and alleging that the action formed part of a series of coercive measures against the party.
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