The Calcutta High Court pulled up bank authorities on Thursday for freezing the accounts and two credit cards of Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee right before his scheduled foreign travel. During the hearing, the court questioned the rationale behind freezing a customer's active bank accounts without proper prior notice. The bank initially cited the requirement for physical KYC verification, but later attempted to bring up an ongoing Enforcement Directorate case involving the MP.
Justice Krishna Rao sharply criticized the bank’s changing stance and warned that the bank manager would be summoned to court if they continued shifting positions. The court noted that KYC verification can easily be completed online in the digital age, questioning why the bank insisted on calling the MP in person and sarcastically asking if the authorities merely "wanted to see his face." Justice Rao also condemned the tone and language of the letter sent to the MP, emphasizing that banks cannot treat customers in such a manner or freeze accounts without informing them beforehand.
Addressing the bank's claim of internal issues preventing a full disclosure of reasons, the High Court maintained that internal rules do not justify arbitrary account closures. In the second session of the hearing, the court ordered a bank official to visit Abhishek Banerjee's residence on Thursday itself to collect the required KYC documents and resolve the process. The High Court has scheduled the next hearing on the matter for Monday.