Kolkata, August 5: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday refused permission to Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee to travel abroad for ophthalmic treatment, holding that he had declined to follow the court’s earlier direction to seek medical evaluation at a government hospital in Kolkata.
Calcutta HC on Abhishek Banerjee’s Foreign Travel Plea
A single judge bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya dismissed Banerjee’s petition after his counsel informed the court that he would not undergo examination at the State run SSKM Medical College and Hospital.
During an earlier hearing on July 20, the court had directed Banerjee to first consult specialists at SSKM. It had said that any decision on his request to travel abroad would be taken only after reviewing the medical report.
Instead of complying with the direction, Banerjee approached the Supreme Court seeking permission to travel overseas. However, the apex court referred the matter back to the Calcutta High Court and directed it to decide the case within seven days.
At Wednesday’s hearing, Banerjee’s counsel, Rebecca Mammen John, argued that he had previously been allowed to travel abroad in connection with an Enforcement Directorate case. She contended that he required overseas treatment for his eye condition.
Opposing the plea, West Bengal Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumdar argued that the earlier case differed because Banerjee was not an accused at that time. He submitted that several criminal cases are currently pending against the MP and allowing him to travel abroad could affect ongoing investigations.
Accepting the State’s submissions, Justice Bhattacharya denied permission for foreign travel and dismissed the petition.
Now you can get the latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram every day. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates and Follow us on GoogleNews
