I-PAC Raids: SC Defers Hearing to Feb 10 on ED Plea Against Mamata Banerjee
The top court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect the CCTV footage of the raids.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to February 10, hearing on a plea moved by the Enforcement Directorate alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the political consultancy firm I-PAC’s office and the premises of its director Pratik Jain in connection with a money-laundering probe linked to the coal pilferage “scam”.
A two-judge bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice N.V. Anjaria deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, submitted that the state government had filed affidavits and sought time.
The apex court on January 15 said the West Bengal Chief Minister's alleged "obstruction" in ED's probe was "very serious" and agreed to examine if a state's law-enforcing agencies can intervent with any Central agency's probe into any serious offence, even as it stayed the FIRs against the agency's officials who searched I-PAC office on January 8. The top court had also directed the state police to protect the CCTV footage of the raids.
It had issued notices to Banerjee, the West Bengal government, DGP Rajeev Kumar and senior officials on the ED's petitions seeking a CBI probe against them for allegedly the obstructing raids.
The ED has also alleged that Ms Banerjee entered the search sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices, from the premises of I-PAC and obstructed and interfered with the investigation in the case.
