West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee has suffered a major legal setback from the Calcutta High Court. The court has flatly rejected Banerjee’s plea seeking permission to travel abroad for eye treatment. This significant decision came after the MP’s lawyers made it clear to the court that Banerjee was unwilling to appear before the medical board at the government-run SSKM Hospital for his medical examination. The court clearly stated that when world-class medical facilities are available within the country and even Supreme Court judges receive their treatment within India, there is no need for an MP facing criminal investigation to travel abroad.
The court made a strong remark, saying – India is not behind anyone in the matter of medical science.
Hearing the case, Justice Saugata Bhattacharya took a strong stance, questioning whether complex eye treatment was only possible abroad. The court stated that Banerjee’s treatment options should be considered in light of the fact that several serious criminal cases are pending against him in the country. The court had previously proposed that a medical board from the state-run SSKM Hospital examine Abhishek Banerjee’s eyes to determine whether he could be treated in India. However, when his lawyer, Rebecca John, refused to appear before the medical board, the court remarked that medical science in the country has progressed significantly, and even Supreme Court judges receive treatment in India, so he could not be allowed to travel abroad without undergoing treatment here.
The decision came after investigation of criminal cases and Supreme Court’s direction.
Abhishek Banerjee argued that he is a Member of Parliament and a diplomatic passport holder, whose movements are always trackable, and that he has been receiving treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States for a chronic illness. Meanwhile, the state government’s Additional Advocate General, Rajdeep Mazumdar, strongly opposed this, stating that there is no medical emergency and that his presence in the country is necessary due to ongoing investigations into several FIRs. It is noteworthy that he received interim relief in cases filed during the assembly elections on the condition that he not leave the country without court permission. Following the Supreme Court’s direction to resolve the matter within a week, the Calcutta High Court rejected his application to travel abroad.