Supreme Court allows Abhishek Banerjee's three-week foreign trip for eye treatment
The Supreme Court has allowed All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee to travel abroad for three weeks to undergo treatment for his eyes. The order was passed by a bench of the apex court on a plea moved by Banerjee, who is also the party's national general secretary.
According to the plea, Banerjee needed to visit Singapore for medical treatment of an eye condition. The court granted him permission for the foreign travel for a period of three weeks. While the court did not specify a destination in its order, it is understood that Banerjee will be travelling to Singapore for the treatment.
The development comes at a time when Banerjee is facing questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged coal smuggling case. The TMC leader has been summoned by the central agency on multiple occasions. Previously, he had sought exemption from personal appearance citing health reasons and other commitments.
The Supreme Court's permission allows Banerjee to address his health concerns without prejudice to the legal proceedings. The court is stated to have imposed conditions while granting the relief, which may include providing details of his travel and stay abroad. The exact terms of the order are not yet available in the public domain.
Banerjee has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case and has maintained that the allegations against him are politically motivated. He has expressed confidence that he will be able to establish his innocence in due course. The ED's summons in the matter are part of a wider investigation into irregularities in the allocation and transportation of coal in West Bengal.
Courts generally take into account the necessity of the trip and the bona fide reasons cited by the applicant while granting such permissions during ongoing investigations. In this case, the medical emergency appears to have weighed with the court in permitting the travel.
With this order, Banerjee can now proceed with his planned medical treatment. The duration of his stay abroad is limited to three weeks, and he is expected to return before the expiry of that period. The investigating agency will be informed about his itinerary as per the court's directives.
The legal battle between Banerjee and the central agencies continues, with the next hearing in the matter scheduled in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, TMC leaders have come out in support of Banerjee, describing the summons as a politically motivated move and questioning the timing of the investigation.
