Kolkata: Turning down a plea by the Bengal govt and the Ritabrata Banerjee camp (now Democratic Trinamool Congress), the Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to change its July 19 order allowing the Mamata Banerjee faction to approach the court-appointed special officer to withdraw money from Trinamool’s three HDFC Bank accounts, which are now frozen, to meet its daily expenses.The HC said it will hear the case again on Jan 29, 2027.Police and the Ritabrata camp repeatedly argued in the high court that the Election Commission on Sept 17 had frozen the Trinamool name and symbol, which effectively puts a bar on the Mamata faction to keep withdrawing from accounts which belong to Trinamool Congress. Additional advocate general Rajdeep Majumdar argued that with the EC freeze order, the Trinamool plea seeking permission to use the bank accounts had become “infructuous” and should be dismissed.Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya – who passed the July 19 order appointing retired HC judge Justice Subrata Talukdar as a special officer – did not agree to this line of argument. Justice Bhattacharyya pointed out that the EC in its Sept 17 order had made it clear that it was passing an interim order because of the impending bypolls and it would remain effective till a final order was passed. Justice Bhattacharyya said the EC order also made it clear that the issue required “substantive” determination. The HC in its July 19 judgment, also upheld by Supreme Court, had made it clear that its order remained effective till the EC finally decides on the issue of Trinamool’s name and symbol.Arguing for Mamata Trinamool, senior advocate Shoeb Alam referred to a 1972 Supreme Court order which says that the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 – under which the EC is hearing the Trinamool dispute – does not extend to party-held properties. The issue of party properties will be subject to civil courts, he pointed out.
