The Supreme Court, on a Surya Kant‑led bench, granted Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee permission to travel abroad for a three‑week eye‑treatment regime, overturning a Calcutta High Court refusal. The decision came after the MP's earlier plea, which had been denied on the grounds of pending investigations.
Banerjee, 38, sustained a severe eye injury in a road accident in October 2016 while returning from a political programme in Murshidabad. He has since undergone treatment in India and abroad, notably in the United States, where he has spent nearly a decade following the incident.
The MP has faced a litany of legal and physical threats: a 2024 land‑scam probe that saw his assistant arrested, a 2025 recruitment‑scam inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate, and an attempted murder that left him wounded. In a harrowing episode just before the Bengal assembly election, he was pelted with eggs and stones by a mob in Sonarpur, forcing police to escort him to safety.
In its ruling, the bench dismissed objections raised by Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who cited multiple cases against Banerjee and feared he might not return. Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized that every person has a right to travel abroad for medical care, a stance that the court reiterated by insisting on a detailed itinerary.
The next step is for Banerjee to furnish the court with a full schedule of his intended stay, including flight bookings, hospital appointments, and proof of residence abroad. The court will review the submission before granting final clearance.
For the people of Sonarpur, the image of a shattered face and a bruised voice is a stark reminder of the volatility that surrounds their MP, who hails from a constituency that has been shaken by post‑poll violence. His upcoming trip, if approved, will be watched closely by both his supporters, eager for a medical cure, and his critics, wary of a potential escape.