A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court today rejected the plea of Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, seeking permission to travel overseas for ophthalmic treatment. During the hearing of a case where Banerjee has been accused of making hate speeches before the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls, the counsel of the Diamond Harbour MP pleaded for permission for his client to travel abroad for ophthalmic treatment.

However, Justice Sougata Bhattacharya rejected the plea for foreign travel. Instead, he advised Banerjee to first consult experts from the state-run S.S.K.M. Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata.