The Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, anticipating an ED plea over alleged interference in its I-PAC raids. The ED accuses the CM of obstructing its search and removing key evidence.
Anticipating that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) may approach the Supreme Court against alleged interference by the West Bengal government in its search operations, the Mamta Banerjee-led state government has filed a caveat before the apex court, seeking that no order be passed without hearing it.
ED Raids and Accusations of Interference
The caveat comes in the backdrop of ED's search raids conducted on Thursday at the headquarters of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) - a political consultancy firm linked to the All India Trinamool Congress, and at the Kolkata residence of its director, Pratik Jain.
The ED is likely to move the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court adjourned the hearing on its urgent plea. In that petition, the central agency accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of obstructing ED officials and preventing them from performing their public duties, allegedly in a "flagrant and blatant disregard of law," during a search operation conducted in Kolkata on January 8.
The agency also alleged that the situation escalated after the Chief Minister entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain during an ED search and removed what the agency described as "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.
Legal Battle in Calcutta High Court
Separately, the West Bengal government has filed a plea in the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the ED seized all data and digital records from I-PAC's office.
In its petition, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has sought directions to the ED to return all seized materials, including private, sensitive and confidential data, along with information and documents taken in both physical and electronic form.
The State government claimed that the allegedly unlawfully seized data belongs to the Trinamool Congress and relates to its party operations.
The matter was adjourned by a bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh on Thursday due to chaos and commotion inside the courtroom, which made it difficult to hear the case. The High Court has now posted the matter for hearing on January 14.
Background of the ED Investigation
Earlier on January 8, the controversy erupted when the ED conducted searches at I-PAC's premises and at the Kolkata residence of its director in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam.
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