KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court has declined a request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to assign its petition seeking a CBI probe against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, and Kolkata Police Commissioner to a new bench. The petition is related to the alleged obstruction of ED officials during raids conducted on January 8 at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder, Pratik Jain. I-PAC advises the Trinamool Congress on political strategy.
The matter remains before a single-judge bench. Justice Suvra Ghosh had initially postponed hearings to January 14 after expressing displeasure over the "enormous disturbance and commotion" in the courtroom on Friday. She noted that repeated requests to maintain order were ignored, creating an environment unconducive to hearing the case. The ED then approached the division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, seeking an urgent hearing before January 14 and requesting that the matter be transferred to another single-judge bench if an early hearing before Justice Ghosh was not possible. However, the Acting Chief Justice declined to intervene.
The ED's petition accuses Mamata Banerjee, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Varma of obstructing their investigation into a money laundering case. Specifically, the ED alleges "theft of digital devices and other evidence, and wrongful restraint and confinement of central govt officers". The ED further claims that Banerjee arrived at the raid sites and removed evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. According to an ED statement dated January 8, 2025, Banerjee's arrival with a large number of police officials obstructed the proceedings.
Mamata Banerjee has countered these allegations, accusing the ED of acting on behalf of the BJP and targeting I-PAC addresses to seize Trinamool-specific data ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
On Friday, the courtroom was reportedly packed, and designated advocates struggled to reach the bench. Justice Ghosh adjourned the hearing, stating, "I cannot hear anything". The court chaos occurred a day after Banerjee's visits to the raid sites, escalating the political conflict between the ruling TMC and the central government. The ED's 28-page petition alleges obstruction under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee supported the court's decision, stating that judicial orders cannot be altered administratively.
