SC To Hear ED Plea Against West Bengal, Mamata

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Thursday a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging interference and obstruction by the West Bengal government, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its money-laundering probe linked to the coal-pilferage case.

A two-judge bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi is likely to take up the matter.

The plea pertains to searches conducted by the ED at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and at the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata earlier this month. The agency has alleged that the Chief Minister entered the search premises and removed “key” evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices, thereby obstructing the investigation.

In its petition before the Supreme Court, the ED claimed that the Chief Minister’s presence at the search sites had an intimidating effect on officers and seriously compromised the agency’s ability to discharge its statutory functions independently. The agency has also alleged repeated non-cooperation by the state administration and sought directions for an independent inquiry by the CBI, arguing that a neutral central agency was necessary in view of the alleged interference by the state executive.

Before approaching the apex court, the ED had moved the Calcutta High Court on January 9, seeking a CBI probe against Banerjee. The agency alleged that the Trinamul Congress supremo, with the assistance of the police, removed incriminating material from the ED’s custody during the raid at Jain’s residence.

On Wednesday, the High Court adjourned the hearing on the ED’s plea. It also disposed of a petition filed by the All India Trinamul Congress, which sought protection of its data, after the ED informed the court that it had not seized any material from I-PAC’s office or Jain’s house during the searches.

The ED’s plea before the Supreme Court follows searches carried out on January 8 at the premises of I-PAC and Jain as part of a money-laundering probe into the coal-pilferage case, allegedly involving transactions worth several crores of rupees. During the operation, Banerjee reached the I-PAC office along with senior party leaders, confronted ED officials and allegedly removed documents from the premises.

The Chief Minister has accused the ED of overreach, while the Trinamul Congress has denied the allegations of obstruction. The West Bengal Police has also registered an FIR against ED officers. The ruling party has claimed that the ED action against I-PAC, which functions as its election strategist, was aimed at accessing confidential election-strategy material rather than pursuing a bona fide investigation.

West Bengal is due to go to the Assembly polls in a few months.