Calcutta HC declines urgent hearing of Kalighat-TMC "party-fund" plea

The Kalighat Trinamool Congress faction faced a legal setback on Tuesday after the Calcutta High Court rejected its plea for an urgent, expedited hearing over the control of the party's funds. Justice Saugata Bhattacharya dismissed the application, stating that it is not possible to bring the case forward and that the matter will be heard strictly according to the pre-scheduled court list. Following the judge's decision, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the state government, requested that the court at least allow a window for questioning and answers regarding the matter this coming Thursday.

The intense legal battle arose following a bitter internal feud between the traditional Kalighat camp and a rebel Trinamool Congress faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee over the party's official symbol and assets. Amidst the ongoing tug-of-war, party treasurer Arup Biswas had formally requested banking authorities to freeze all active organizational accounts to prevent unauthorized usage. Consequently, three separate Trinamool bank accounts holding an aggregate sum of ₹440 crore were frozen, shifting the high-stakes financial tension directly into the courtroom.

Meanwhile, the rival faction led by Ritabrata Banerjee is preparing to appoint a special auditor to comprehensively investigate the exact financial status of the frozen accounts. During a previous session on Monday, Justice Bhattacharya had ordered the petitioner to formally implead and serve notices to the bank authorities, local police, and the state government as necessary parties to the litigation. With the High Court refusing to bypass standard listing protocols, both factions must now wait for the case to be called up sequentially.