Luxury jet, helicopter and Rs 440 crore freeze: ED tightens noose around TMC in money trail probe
The action comes a day after the ED carried out searches at five locations in and around Kolkata.
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen Rs 440.42 crore in three bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency alleges that around Rs 160 crore was transferred from TMC accounts to a private aviation company and related entities, which later used part of the funds to purchase a luxury business jet and a helicopter.
_202607091204565674_H@@IGHT_400_W@@IDTH_700.jpg "mamata banerjee")
The action comes a day after the ED carried out searches at five locations in and around Kolkata. The agency said its probe has found that around Rs 160 crore was transferred from TMC bank accounts to Carewell Aviation India Pvt Ltd and a related company between April 2023 and June 2026.
The ED claims that after the aircraft were bought, they were leased back to the TMC and payments were made in the name of aircraft usage. Investigators suspect the arrangement may have been used to hide the actual movement and use of funds.
The investigation originated from an FIR registered by the Cyber Police in Bidhannagar, West Bengal. The complaint alleged unlawful financial dealings, collection of money, and routing of funds through specific bank accounts linked to the Trinamool Congress.
The ED said the investigation is continuing and more action may follow based on the evidence collected.
The action comes a day after the ED carried out searches at five locations in and around Kolkata. The agency said its probe has found that around Rs 160 crore was transferred from TMC bank accounts to Carewell Aviation India Pvt Ltd and a related company between April 2023 and June 2026.
According to the ED, part of these funds was later routed through another entity, which used Rs 112 crore to purchase an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet and an Agusta 109 Grand New helicopter.
The agency is also examining an unsecured loan of USD 1.7 million that was allegedly arranged through a Cayman Islands-based entity in 2023 to help finance the helicopter purchase.
POWER GONE BUT NOT IMPERIOUSNESS?
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) July 8, 2026
Look how an agitated and frenzied Mamata Banerjee even slaps her own worker. Just today the ED has frozen Rs 440 crores of TMC funds. pic.twitter.com/A24q62jHmU
The ED claims that after the aircraft were bought, they were leased back to the TMC and payments were made in the name of aircraft usage. Investigators suspect the arrangement may have been used to hide the actual movement and use of funds.
Based on these findings, the agency froze the party's accounts under Section 17(1-A) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The investigation originated from an FIR registered by the Cyber Police in Bidhannagar, West Bengal. The complaint alleged unlawful financial dealings, collection of money, and routing of funds through specific bank accounts linked to the Trinamool Congress.
The ED said the investigation is continuing and more action may follow based on the evidence collected.