West Bengal Police freeze 12 more TMC accounts, Rs 1,000 crore locked

3 min readKolkataUpdated: Jul 11, 2026 02:49 PM IST

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC has yet to access the alleged Rs 440 crore corpus, as the Enforcement Directorate has also frozen the three accounts. The TMC moved the Calcutta High Court on Friday, challenging the ED order. (File Photo)

The West Bengal Police on Friday froze 12 more bank accounts of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC), a day after the party was allowed to partially operate three accounts with an alleged corpus of Rs 440 crore.

Senior police officers said the 12 newly frozen accounts span multiple public and private sector banks. A total of 15 TMC bank accounts, with alleged deposits of about Rs 1,000 crore, have been frozen so far. The police have sought details of the account holders and the financial transactions recorded in those accounts, sources said.

The move comes a day after the Calcutta High Court permitted the TMC to partially operate three HDFC accounts, appointing retired Justice Subrata Talukdar as special officer till September 30. Under the interim order, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC can use the funds only for day-to-day administrative expenses, staff salaries, and legal costs through cheques countersigned by the special officer, who will receive an honorarium of Rs 1.25 lakh per month from the party’s funds.

The Mamata Banerjee-led faction had moved the High Court seeking its immediate intervention after three of its party accounts were frozen by the police.

Following the party’s defeat in the Assembly polls, the rebel group of TMC MLAs and leaders had asked the bank to freeze the party’s accounts, citing “serious dispute” within the organisation.

The rebels also complained to the cybercrime unit of the Bidhannagar police, seeking a probe into the source of the funds. A day later, the police registered an FIR and launched an investigation.

TMC challenges ED freeze

The TMC has yet to access the alleged Rs 440 crore corpus as the Enforcement Directorate has also frozen the three accounts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Story continues below this ad

The TMC moved the Calcutta High Court on Friday, challenging the ED order. Senior advocate Kishore Datta sought an urgent hearing before Justice Krishna Rao, submitting that while Justice Saugata Bhattacharya’s order dealt with the police action in the predicate offence, the fresh petition challenges the ED’s action under the PMLA. The matter will be heard on Monday.

The ED had frozen the same three accounts in connection with its probe into an alleged Rs 160 crore money laundering case involving a private aviation firm and the purchase of an Embraer business jet and an Agusta helicopter.

© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.

Experience

Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.

Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.

Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:

State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.

Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.

Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).

Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.

Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:

Calcutta High Court

Mamata Banerjee

Trinamool Congress