Hours after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) search operations at the office of election strategy firm I-PAC and the residence of its director, Prateek Jain, as a “murder of democracy,” the federal agency issued a statement accusing her of obstructing the investigation.
The ED clarified that the searches, conducted at six premises in West Bengal and four in Delhi, were linked to its ongoing probe into a coal smuggling syndicate and Hawala operators. “Proceedings were being conducted in a peaceful and professional manner, till the arrival of West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee along with a large number of police officials. Ms Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain and took away key evidences including physical evidence and electronic devices,” the statement said.
The statement further claimed, “The CM’s convoy then proceeded to I-PAC’s office premises, from where Ms Banerjee, her aides, and the state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence. The above action has resulted in obstruction in ongoing investigation and proceedings under the PMLA.”
Emphasising the neutrality of the action, the ED added, “The search is evidence-based and is not targeted at any political establishment. No party office has been searched. The search is not linked to any election and is part of a regular crackdown on money laundering.”
Following the statement, the ED approached the Calcutta High Court alleging obstruction during the I-PAC search. Justice Shubhra Ghosh granted permission for the filing, with a hearing likely to take place on Friday.
On Thursday, ED officials carried out searches at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and at Prateek Jain’s residence, seizing documents and electronic devices. Mamata, who visited the sites during the operation, alleged that critical party documents, election strategy papers, hard drives, and financial records were forcibly taken. She accused the BJP of being the “biggest robbers” and said the raid was an attempt to seize her party’s election strategy because the saffron camp lacked the courage to fight politically.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari criticised Mamata’s visit to Jain’s residence, calling it “completely unethical.” He, however, refrained from commenting on the ongoing ED investigation.
Adhikari also recalled earlier instances where the Chief Minister had protested against central agencies, including a sit-in outside the CBI’s Nizam Palace in 2021 following arrests of senior Trinamool leaders and a protest during a CBI search at the residence of former police commissioner Rajeev Kumar.
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