16:33
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee's plea to travel abroad for eye treatment.
The court had earlier advised Banerjee to appear before a medical board at the state-run SSKM hospital here on August 6 for its opinion on the matter.
However, as the TMC leader submitted that he was not ready to do so, the court dismissed his plea to go abroad.
"In view of the submission by the counsel for the applicant (on instructions) that he will not appear before the medical board as indicated by this court, this court finds the issue which is agitated by filing the application ought not to be kept pending further," it said while dismissing the application.
The court opined that appearing before doctors at SSKM was necessary to assess Banerjee's medical condition and furnish an opinion before the bench whether it was necessary for him to go abroad or if the treatment can be administered in India.
At this stage, what is important is the treatment of the petitioner; where it will be administered is immaterial, the bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya observed.
Banerjee's plea for permission to travel to the John Hopkins Institute in the USA came against the backdrop of a string of FIRs registered against him following the change of guard at West Bengal's power corridors.
The BJP swept the state polls in May this year, dislodging the TMC, of which the leader is the national general secretary.
While granting interim protection in a criminal case related to alleged provocative comments made during poll campaigns, the high court had said that Banerjee cannot leave India without permission.
Challenging an order refusing to grant immediate travel permission without confirming that his eye condition cannot be treated adequately within the country, Banerjee had moved the Supreme Court.
The top court, however, asked the high court on August 3 to decide his plea for permission expeditiously. -- PTI
