The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed an ‘urgent’ plea before the Supreme Court accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and State officials of interfering with the central agency's investigation and search operations at the Kolkata offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC and its co-founder, Pratik Jain.
Levelling serious allegations against WB Chief Minister ED has accused her of ‘deliberately’ obstructing the functioning of investigating agency by ‘misusing’ state Police machinery. In its application before the Apex Court the ED has claimed that the CM has repeatedly taken the law into her own hands. ED has further claimed that its officers were intimidated and threatened and crucial documents, electronic evidence seized during search were taken away, thereby preventing the agecy from continuing with the operation.
Naming CM, DGP and Police Commissioner, the agency has contended that the circumstances mandate registration of an FIR in line with Supreme Court’s 2014judgement in Lalita Kumari vs Government of Uttar Pradesh .The matter reached the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court on Friday was forced to adjourn related litigation amid unruly commotion in the courtroom.
The ED has sought directions for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and directions to restrain Chief Minister Banerjee and State officials from obstructing its probe against I-PAC.The ED alleged that its search operations at I-PAC, linked to an ongoing coal smuggling investigation, were disrupted through the intervention of the West Bengal Chief Minister and State officials.
The agency has claimed that the intervention resulted in the removal of crucial physical and electronic material connected to the investigation and prevented officers from carrying out their duties in accordance with the law.The ED has further contended that the manner in which the search sites were allegedly taken over amounted to a complete derailment of a lawful investigation. According to the agency, what began as a search under statutory authority escalated into a confrontation due to the involvement of the State machinery.
The political consultancy firm in focus, I-PAC has previously worked with the Trinamool Congress and was involved in shaping the party’s electoral strategy during the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections and subsequent polls.The Chief Minister has publicly defended her presence at the search sites, asserting that the ED action was politically motivated, which the central agency denies.
Before the Calcutta High Court, two cross-petitions were filed in the matter earlier - one by the ED and another by the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC).The TMC has sought directions to restrain the central agency from leaking any party-related information.
However, a Division Bench of the High Court on January 9 adjourned the case till January 14 amid disturbances caused due to crowding and commotion in the courtroom.
Meanwhile, the State of West Bengal has also filed a caveat before the Supreme Court, seeking to ensure that no orders are passed without affording the State government a hearing.
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