The Supreme Court on Monday granted permission to Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Abhishek Banerjee to travel abroad for three weeks to receive eye treatment.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohana issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by the Diamond Harbour lawmaker. Banerjee had approached the top court to challenge a Calcutta High Court decision that rejected his request to seek medical care outside the country.
Calcutta High Court Decision
The legal challenge follows an August 5 order by the Calcutta High Court dismissing Banerjee’s petition for foreign travel. The High Court based its decision on the MP’s refusal to present himself before a medical board at the state-run SSKM Hospital the following day for an evaluation of his medical condition.
In its ruling, the High Court observed that an assessment by the panel of medical experts would have enabled the court to determine whether treatment in a foreign country was necessary.
Earlier Apex Court Directions
Prior to the High Court’s dismissal, the Supreme Court had issued a directive on August 3 instructing the High Court to hear and decide Banerjee’s travel application within a wee
