The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has escalated its legal battle with the West Bengal government, led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, by moving the Supreme Court. The central agency alleges obstruction and interference by the state government during its investigation into the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in connection to a coal scam case.
The ED's petition, filed under Article 32, seeks a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged obstruction, claiming that its "right to conduct a fair and independent investigation has been curtailed by the state machinery". The agency has detailed a sequence of events, describing a "showdown" during search operations at premises linked to I-PAC, a political consultancy firm engaged in forming election strategy for Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. The ED claims its officials were prevented from lawfully carrying out searches and seizing material relevant to the coal smuggling probe.
The ED has specifically alleged that physical documents and electronic devices were forcibly removed from the premises in the presence of senior state officials. The agency argues that this interference by state authorities, including police personnel, amounted to obstruction of justice and compromised the integrity of its probe. The ED also claimed that proceeds of crime worth nearly Rs 10 crore were allegedly routed to I-PAC through hawala channels, and that the consultancy firm was paid by the Trinamool for services rendered during the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.
In anticipation of the ED's move, the West Bengal government has already filed a caveat in the Supreme Court. A caveat is a formal request ensuring that no order is passed in a matter without hearing the concerned party. This move aims to ensure that the state government's version is presented before any interim relief is granted to the ED.
The dispute has its roots in ED raids conducted in Kolkata at locations associated with I-PAC, which the agency says were part of its investigation into a multi-crore coal scam. The ED conducted searches on the premises of I-PAC and its director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam. According to the agency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. Banerjee has accused the central agency of overreach.
Earlier, the ED had moved the Calcutta High Court seeking registration of an FIR against Mamata Banerjee for allegedly "obstructing" its search operations. However, hearings in the matter were deferred after both a single-judge bench and a division bench postponed proceedings until after January 14. In response, the Trinamool and I-PAC filed counter-petitions in the Calcutta High Court, contesting the ED's claims. Separately, the West Bengal government has moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging that ED seized all data and digital records from I-PAC's office.
Following the raids, two FIRs were registered against the ED's raids at Jain's residence at Loudon Street and I-PAC's office at Salt Lake. The Kolkata Police also reached the residence of Pratik Jain to identify ED officials and CRPF team during the raids. The ED has claimed that the coal smuggling syndicate of Anup Majee was linked to political consultancy I-PAC via a hawala trail.
