The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to grant interim relief to the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) by permitting it to operate three bank accounts frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case involving alleged transfers of party funds for the purchase of an aircraft and a helicopter.

Justice Krishna Rao declined to stay the ED's debit freeze while hearing the political party's writ petition challenging the agency's action under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The Court's interim order means the freeze on the accounts will continue during the pendency of the proceedings.

The ED has frozen three TMC bank accounts allegedly containing around ₹440 crore. According to the agency, the action forms part of its money laundering investigation into alleged transfers of funds to Carewell Aviation India and an associated entity between April 2023 and June 2026 in connection with the purported acquisition of an aircraft and a helicopter.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for TMC, had argued that the ED's action was designed to nullify an earlier order of the High Court passed in a separate proceeding. In that earlier case, another Bench had permitted the party to operate the same accounts under the supervision of a Special Officer after they had been frozen on the directions of the West Bengal Police pursuant to a complaint by rebel TMC MLA Biswanath Das alleging misuse of party funds. Singhvi contended that the ED was aware that the accounts were likely to be de-frozen pursuant to the earlier proceedings but nevertheless imposed a fresh freeze through its money laundering investigation.

The ED, however, defended its action, maintaining that the attachment stemmed from an independent PMLA investigation into suspected money laundering transactions and was unrelated to the earlier police action.

After hearing the parties, Justice Rao declined to grant interim permission to operate the accounts, leaving the ED's freeze intact until further orders on the writ petition.

A detailed order is awaited.

Case: ALL INDIA TRINAMOOL CONGRESS AND ANR. VS UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

Case No: WPA 16258/2026