The Supreme Court on Thursday, January 15, 2026, voiced serious concerns regarding alleged interference by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state police officials in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. The ED had been conducting a search operation at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, in connection with an alleged coal-pilferage scam.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi acknowledged the gravity of the ED's allegations, stating that they raise "larger questions" about the independence of central agencies and potential obstruction by state authorities. The court agreed to examine whether law enforcement agencies of a state can interfere with a central agency's investigation into any serious offense. The court issued notices to Banerjee, the West Bengal government, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and top police officials, scheduling the next hearing for February 3.
The ED has sought a CBI probe into the alleged obstruction, claiming that Banerjee, accompanied by senior police officials, entered the premises during the search on January 8 and forcibly took away digital devices and documents. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, described the incident as part of a "shocking pattern" where the Chief Minister allegedly obstructed statutory authorities. He argued that this conduct would demoralize officers and discourage them from performing their duties. The ED also claimed that multiple FIRs were registered against its officers following the incident, seeking protection for them and citing threats to their rights.
The Supreme Court has stayed the FIRs filed against ED officials in West Bengal and directed the state police to preserve CCTV footage from the raids. The ED's counsel alleged that intelligence inputs linked proceeds from the coal scam to I-PAC's operations. The agency is investigating a scam of over ₹2,700 crore.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Banerjee, questioned the maintainability of the ED's plea and suggested the case should be heard by the Calcutta High Court first. He also disputed the ED's claims, stating that the allegation that Banerjee took all devices was a "blatant lie," referencing the ED's own search record. Sibal questioned the timing of the ED's actions, asking what the agency had been doing since February 2024, when the last statement in the coal scam was recorded.
The BJP has reacted strongly, with Amit Malviya calling the situation a "serious indictment" of Banerjee and her government, accusing her of shielding those accused of coal smuggling and money laundering. The TMC, however, maintains that the ED's actions are politically motivated and timed with the approaching assembly polls in West Bengal. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh alleged the ED was being deployed to "divert, access, or disrupt" the TMC's campaign machinery.
