Calcutta HC adjourns ED-TMC plea on I-PAC raids pending SC hearing

The Calcutta High Court adjourned the hearing on petitions by the ED and TMC regarding I-PAC raids until a Supreme Court SLP is resolved. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee stated the ED sought the adjournment, while the TMC was ready for the hearing.

Calcutta HC Adjourns Matter Pending SC Hearing

TMC MP and Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee on Wednesday said that the Calcutta High Court has adjourned the matter in connection with the petitions filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and TMC after recent raids on the premises of I-PAC, until the Special Leave Petition is disposed of by the Supreme Court.

Senior Advocate Kalyan Banerjee, who was appearing on behalf of West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, told the reporters that the probe agency had requested the adjournment.

Banerjee said, "ED counsel sought an adjournment because the matter is pending before the Supreme Court. I clearly stated that I am appearing on behalf of Mamata Banerjee as the Chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress, and not as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Secondly, we have stated that blame has been made against the court in this Special Leave Petition (SLP)."

He added that they were ready for the case to be heard in the High Court. "Thirdly, we have said that we are ready to proceed with the case. The case should be heard. The court has recorded that since the ED has sought time on the ground that the Special Leave Petition is pending, which is, requested an adjournment, and the lawyers for the respondents have stated that they are ready to participate in the hearing of the case, the matter has been adjourned until the SLP is disposed of by the Supreme Court," the TMC MP said.

Court Disposes of Earlier TMC Plea

Earlier today, the Calcutta High Court disposed of TMC's plea in connection with the recent raids on the I-PAC's premises and the residence of its Director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata, after the ED said that "nothing was seized" from the premises.

TMC Seeks Data Protection, ED Denies Seizure

The High Court began the hearing on the plea filed by ED amid high-voltage political drama in West Bengal, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC while the ED was carrying out search operations in connection with the 2020 coal smuggling case.

The TMC said, "Our petition is limited to the point that our personal political data be protected. It is inappropriate to bully a political party when it has filed a petition, believing that its data could be taken from its political consultant of six years."

The ED stated that "nothing was seized" and demanded that the TMC's plea be disposed of. "Nothing has been seized. Whatever was taken was taken away by Mamata Banerjee," ED said.

The ED also told the court that the search operation had "nothing to do with Trinamool Congress." ED told the High Court, "The raid had nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress, and the person who was raided by the ED has not come before you"

"The search was conducted somewhere else, but another party is coming and saying that my data was with them. This is not how it works," the probe agency added.

ED Accuses CM, State Police of Obstruction

The ED, in its petition, has accused the West Bengal Police, allegedly acting in collusion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, of obstructing its officials and failing to discharge their public duty in "flagrant and blatant disregard to the law" during an ongoing search operation in Kolkata carried out on January 8.

The agency alleged that the situation escalated after the Chief Minister on Thursday entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain, director of political consultancy firm I-PAC, during an ED search and took away what the agency described as "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.

The Mamta Banerjee-led state government has filed a caveat before the apex court, seeking that no order be passed without hearing it. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)