Calcutta High Court Again Denies Abhishek Banerjee Permission To Travel Abroad For Eye Treatment

Published 5 August 2026 · local

News india Calcutta High Court Again Denies Abhishek Banerjee Permission To Travel Abroad For Eye Treatment Calcutta High Court Again Denies Abhishek Banerjee Permission To

News india Calcutta High Court Again Denies Abhishek Banerjee Permission To Travel Abroad For Eye Treatment Calcutta High Court Again Denies Abhishek Banerjee Permission To Travel Abroad For Eye Treatment Published By, Last Updated: August 05, 2026, 12:49 IST The court said it was immaterial where the 40-year-old MP received treatment, stressing that timely medical intervention was more important than the location. TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee. (File Image: PTI) The Calcutta High Court once again refused Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee permission to travel abroad for medical treatment, observing that there was no reason for him to seek treatment overseas when similar facilities were available in India. A single bench of Justice Sougata Bhattacharya declined Abhishek Banerjee’s plea for urgent permission to travel, nearly two weeks after rejecting a similar request.

The court said it was immaterial where the 40-year-old MP received treatment, stressing that timely medical intervention was more important than the location. Abhishek Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour MP, is facing a police case over alleged intimidatory remarks made during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election campaign. While extending his interim protection from coercive action till October 6, the court had earlier directed him not to leave the country without prior permission and to cooperate with the investigation. Maintaining that the investigation was still underway, Justice Bhattacharya directed Abhishek Banerjee to appear before the head of the ophthalmology department at Kolkata’s state-run SSKM Hospital. The court said the specialist would determine whether his eye condition could be treated there, after which it would take a further decision based on the medical report.

Abhishek Banerjee had earlier approached the Supreme Court after the High Court rejected his plea on July 20, arguing that he had cooperated with investigators in all cases against him and should not be denied access to medical care abroad. On Monday, the apex court asked the Calcutta High Court to hear his petition within a week. The TMC leader sustained a serious eye injury in a road accident in 2016 and has undergone specialised treatment overseas in the past. According to the party, he has periodically travelled abroad for follow-up procedures related to the injury. Senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said Abhishek Banerjee’s overseas treatment was medically necessary and accused political opponents of politicising a long-standing health issue.