Earlier, on August 5, the Calcutta High Court had denied the TMC MP permission to travel abroad. High Court Justice Saugata Bhattacharya had recommended that Abhishek Banerjee’s eye condition be examined by a three-member expert committee from SSKM Hospital to determine whether Banerjee’s treatment was possible in India. However, Banerjee’s lawyer, Rebecca John, told the court that she was unwilling to undergo such an examination in India. The court subsequently dismissed her petition, citing India’s rapid advancement in medical science and that Supreme Court judges also receive treatment in India.
Subsequently, the TMC MP filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court’s decision. An FIR had been filed against the TMC MP on several charges, including making inflammatory speeches during the Bengal Assembly elections. Consequently, he approached the court to avoid arrest. The court granted him interim bail with certain conditions, including a prohibition on foreign travel without permission.
