No urgent hearing for Abhishek Banerjee's foreign travel plea, High Court declines request

Trinamool Congress All India General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee faced another setback in the Calcutta High Court after his request for an urgent hearing on his plea seeking permission to travel abroad for eye treatment was declined. During the hearing before Justice Saugata Bhattacharya on Monday, his counsel requested that the matter be taken up on priority. The court made it clear that the plea could not be given priority and that the matter would proceed according to the prescribed procedure.

According to the submission made before the court, Abhishek Banerjee sustained serious eye injuries in a road accident on the Durgapur Expressway in 2016 while returning from Murshidabad. Since then, he has been undergoing treatment abroad, including in Singapore and the United States. His counsel stated that although his condition has improved, he continues to require regular medical treatment outside the country.

The request for an expedited hearing had also been made earlier before the court and was declined. Abhishek Banerjee had sought permission to travel abroad for his ongoing treatment, including follow-up care after undergoing eye surgery at a hospital in Baltimore, United States, in September 2022. The High Court declined the request for an urgent hearing of the application.