The West Bengal Police on Friday launched an investigation into three bank accounts of the Trinamool Congress, The Times of India reported.

The police also ordered the bank to freeze withdrawals from the accounts.

The probe was initiated under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to organised crime, cheating and criminal conspiracy as well as the Information Technology Act, The Times of India reported.

The action followed a complaint by rebel MLA Biswanath Das seeking a probe into the source and routing of funds into the accounts, The Indian Express reported.

The newspaper quoted Das as having stated in his complaint that the money coming from allegedly illegal activities “may have been” deposited in the accounts.

The investigation was ordered a day after it was reported that former state minister Aroop Biswas had asked HDFC Bank on June 12 to freeze the party’s account, citing uncertainty surrounding the authority and control of the organisation’s affairs and assets. In the letter to the bank, Biswas had identified himself as the party’s treasurer and said he was acting in that capacity.

However, unidentified persons in the party had told NDTV on Thursday that Biswas had been removed as the treasurer on June 5 after he lost the Tollygunj seat, a party stronghold, to the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Assembly elections. He was replaced by Subhashish Chakravarty.

Biswas was reported as having written in the letter: “At present rival groups are claiming to be the legitimate representatives and office bearers of AITC [All India Trinamool Congress], resulting in uncertainty regarding the authority of persons who may seek to operate the bank accounts maintained in the name of AITC.”

Further, Biswas had expressed concern that signed cheques already in circulation or held by people whose authority was under dispute could be misused, NDTV reported.

In December, Biswas stepped down as West Bengal’s sports minister after alleged mismanagement during footballer Lionel Messi’s visit to Kolkata led to chaos at Salt Lake Stadium.

The developments come amid internal divisions and rebellions in the TMC after it lost the Assembly elections in May.

A group of 58 of TMC’s 80 MLAs has been recognised by the Assembly speaker as the party’s legislature wing in the House.

The stand taken by the group led by expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee is being viewed as a challenge to party chief Mamata Banerjee, who is supporting another legislator as the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court declined to grant interim relief in a petition challenging the speaker’s decision to recognise Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

TMC MLA Kunal Ghosh, who is aligned with the group supporting Mamata Banerjee, questioned the motive for Das’ complaint, The Times of India reported.

Edited by Sara Varghese.