Trinamool Congress accounts frozen by India's Enforcement Directorate

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen Rs 440.42 crore held in three HDFC Bank accounts of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The freeze followed searches at five premises in Kolkata and is linked to alleged dishonest financial dealings, including transfers of about Rs 160 crore to Carewell Aviation India and related entities between April 2023 and June 2026. The agency says the money was used to purchase an Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft and an Agusta 109 helicopter, with a USD 1.7 million unsecured loan from a Cayman Islands entity to fund the helicopter.

TMC condemned the action as politically motivated, accusing the ruling BJP of misusing investigative agencies. The Calcutta High Court later allowed the party to operate the frozen accounts for routine expenses under the supervision of a retired judge, questioning the rapidity of the police freeze and describing the complaint that triggered it as “sheer opportunism”. Justice Subrata Talukdar was appointed as special officer to oversee withdrawals, receiving a monthly honorarium from the accounts. Additional ED raids across West Bengal have been reported as part of the same money‑laundering probe.