The Supreme Court has stepped in during the hearing of a petition challenging the Enforcement Directorate's decision to freeze the bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress. On Monday, the apex court inquired whether the central investigating agency could explore the feasibility of releasing a restricted sum to allow the political party to manage its routine operational expenses.
Exploring Relief Through High Court Appointed Officer
A bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale presided over the matter. During the proceedings, the bench asked the Enforcement Directorate if funds could be routed to the party through retired judge Subrata Talukdar, who was appointed as a special officer by the Calcutta High Court. The court asked the agency to verify whether a controlled allowance could be disbursed via this special officer to meet the party's essential day to day expenditure.
Arguments Against Account Freezing and Financial Disparity
Representing the Trinamool Congress, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Menaka Guruswamy contended that the action taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, or PMLA, was entirely disproportionate. They argued before the bench that the evidence and materials collected by the agency during its investigation do not adequately justify freezing all party accounts.
Elaborating on the complaint, Kapil Sibal pointed out that the central agency's primary allegation centers around roughly Rs 160 crore that was allegedly routed through various accounts. However, the agency went ahead and froze accounts containing a far larger sum than the amount under investigation. Sibal further emphasized that the assertions in the complaint are merely tentative and conjectural. He noted that the filing relies on circumstantial assumptions, stating that funds derived from alleged misuse of influence, dishonest deals, or unauthorized collections might have flowed through these accounts, making the freezing measure overly broad.
Schedule for Future Court Hearings
The Supreme Court observed that a related writ petition is already scheduled for a hearing before the Calcutta High Court on August 20. Encouraging a swift resolution, the apex court urged all parties involved to actively cooperate with the High Court proceedings. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court listed the next hearing for this matter on August 11.
