Calcutta High Court refuses Abhishek Banerjee’s bid to travel abroad for eye treatment

On Monday, a lone judge of the Calcutta High Court said no to Abhishek Banerjee’s request to leave India for ophthalmic treatment. The Trinamool Congress general secretary, who also represents Diamond Harbour in the Lok Sabha, had asked the court’s permission to fly abroad for his eye problems.

The hearing was tied to a separate controversy – accusations that Banerjee delivered hate‑filled speeches during the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. While his lawyer pleaded for a quick exit to the United States, Justice Sougata Bhattacharya asked a very basic question first: had the MP even consulted an eye specialist here?

According to Banerjee’s counsel, the politician has been receiving eye care in the US for the past decade. The state government’s counsel, however, – led by additional advocate general Rajdeep Majumdar – objected stoutly. He warned that letting the MP travel could muddle ongoing investigations, especially the hate‑speech case that still hangs over him.

Instead of granting the foreign‑travel permission, Justice Bhattacharya instructed the head of the ophthalmology department at the state‑run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital to set up a medical board. This board will examine Banerjee, prepare a report, and then the court will take a final call. The next hearing on the travel request is pencilled in for August.

In a related move, the judge extended the interim protection that shields the MP from any coercive police action – including arrest – until October. He also told Banerjee to cooperate fully with the police and directed the CID to wrap up its probe into the hate‑speech allegations as swiftly as possible.

So for now, Abhishek Banerjee will remain in Kolkata, undergo an eye check‑up at S.S.K.M., and wait for the court’s ultimate decision – a waiting game that blends legal drama with a dash of medical urgency.