The Enforcement Directorate has frozen ₹440.42 crore held in three bank accounts of the All India Trinamool Congress, marking a sharp escalation in a money-laundering investigation linked to alleged fund transfers involving a Kolkata-based aviation company.
The action, taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, follows searches at five locations in and around Kolkata connected with Carewell Aviation India Pvt Ltd, its directors, associated entities and an electoral trust. Investigators are examining whether party funds were routed through the aviation firm and linked companies for the acquisition and operation of aircraft allegedly used for political travel.
The agency’s provisional action restricts debit operations in the three accounts, effectively preventing withdrawals while the investigation continues. The deposits remain subject to further adjudication under the anti-money-laundering framework. The move is politically sensitive because it affects the principal ruling party in West Bengal and comes at a time when the use of central agencies against opposition parties has become a major point of confrontation in national politics.
The investigation is centred on alleged transfers of around ₹160 crore from accounts linked to the Trinamool Congress to Carewell Aviation and related entities between April 2023 and June 2026. The agency is probing whether these funds were used in transactions connected with the purchase or leasing of aircraft, including an Embraer 600 aircraft and an Agusta 109 SP helicopter, with the value of the aviation transactions placed at about ₹112 crore.
Carewell Aviation is understood to have provided chartered flight services that were used by senior Trinamool Congress leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Investigators are examining the nature of the payments, the source of funds, the contractual terms for aircraft use, and whether the transactions reflected legitimate campaign and organisational expenditure or involved proceeds of crime.
The Trinamool Congress has rejected wrongdoing and described the freezing of funds as politically motivated. The party has maintained that its accounts, donations and expenditure were fully disclosed to statutory authorities, including the Election Commission of India and the Income Tax Department. It has argued that the agency’s move is part of a broader pattern of pressure on opposition parties ahead of key political contests.
The case reportedly stems from a police complaint registered by Bidhannagar Cyber Police, which alleged dishonest financial transactions, unlawful collection of funds and routing of money through bank accounts connected with the party and private entities. The Enforcement Directorate later registered a money-laundering case on the basis of that predicate offence and began tracing the financial trail.
The freezing order has triggered a stir because political parties operate through bank accounts used for staff payments, campaign operations, publicity, travel, and state-level organisational work. A freeze of this scale can affect day-to-day functioning unless the party secures legal relief or permission for essential expenditure. The action may also lead to scrutiny of how parties classify payments for aircraft, campaign logistics and high-value services.
The legal process now moves through the PMLA mechanism. The agency must place the freezing order before the adjudicating authority within the prescribed period. The affected party and account holders can contest the action, argue that the funds are legitimate, and seek release of the accounts. Any future attachment or prosecution will depend on whether investigators establish a link between the frozen funds and alleged money laundering.
The political impact is likely to extend beyond West Bengal. Opposition parties have repeatedly accused the Union government of using investigative agencies to weaken rivals, while the ruling side has argued that probes into corruption and financial irregularities must proceed regardless of political status. The Trinamool Congress has been among the most vocal critics of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, particularly after previous probes involving party leaders and state officials.
The aviation angle adds another layer to the case because chartered aircraft use has become common in high-intensity election campaigns and political outreach. Such services are expensive, often routed through intermediaries, and can involve complex billing structures covering aircraft leasing, crew, fuel, airport charges, maintenance support and positioning costs. Investigators are expected to examine invoices, lease agreements, bank transfers, aircraft ownership records and beneficiary details.
