Calcutta High Court Appoints Special Officer to Manage Frozen Trinamool Congress Accounts

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday appointed a special officer to oversee the day-to-day expenses of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) faction led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, using three bank accounts that have been frozen due to a police complaint.

The accounts were frozen on June 19, 2026, a day after an FIR was lodged at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Bidhannagar. The complaint, filed by leaders of another TMC faction — MLAs Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha — alleged that the accounts contained proceeds of crime.

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya appointed retired Calcutta High Court judge Subrata Talukdar as the special officer, authorising him to manage expenses from the accounts until September 30, 2026. The order allows any two authorised signatories of the accounts to issue cheques, which must be presented to the special officer before encashment. The court clarified that the accounts can only be used for the political party's routine expenditures.

The petitioner — the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC faction — sought permission to operate the accounts, arguing that the complaint was part of a strategy to cripple the party after the May 4, 2026 West Bengal Assembly election results. Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the petitioner, noted that the difference in vote share between the TMC and the BJP was five per cent. He also stated that the complainants had themselves benefited from these accounts during the election campaign.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the police, defended the freezing of the accounts, stating that the investigating agency had to act swiftly to prevent any illegal transactions. He added that the other faction is also seeking recognition as the official TMC, a matter pending before the Election Commission of India.

Justice Bhattacharyya directed that the special officer be paid an honorarium of Rs 1.25 lakh per month from the accounts. The officer must submit a report detailing expenses by the next hearing on September 21, 2026. The court also instructed the bank to preserve all electronic records and cooperate with the police investigation. The police must file a progress report by September 21.

The court noted that the Election Commission's decision on which faction is the legitimate TMC could lead to the vacation of this interim order. The next hearing is scheduled for September 21, 2026.