In a significant development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved the Supreme Court seeking to include the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) as parties in its ongoing legal battle with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This move comes as the ED investigates the role of West Bengal's Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakravorty, in allegedly obstructing the agency's search operations.

The ED is currently investigating a coal scam case and alleges that Banerjee attempted to foil their search operation against I-PAC, a political consultancy firm, in Kolkata. The agency is verifying reports that Chakravorty was among the officials accompanying Banerjee when she visited I-PAC chief Pratik Jain's residence during the ED search on January 8. The ED has alleged that during the raid, documents and electronic devices were taken away from the I-PAC premises, disrupting the search and putting pressure on officers present there.

The Supreme Court is already hearing the ED's criminal writ petition and has issued notices to Banerjee and top state officials, including Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar. The court has described the disruption of the ED's search proceedings as "serious" and has promised to examine the larger issue of state agencies interfering with the actions of central agencies.

In its appeal, the ED stated that failure to include the DoPT, MHA, and the State of West Bengal as respondents in the criminal writ petition would cause "irreparable loss and injury" to the agency. The ED has also sought the suspension of West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, and DCP South Kolkata Priyabrata Roy, accusing them of helping Banerjee in removing crucial evidence during the raids. The agency alleges repeated obstruction and non-cooperation by the state administration.

The West Bengal government has justified DGP Kumar's presence at Jain's residence by stating that Banerjee has "Z-category" security. The state government has also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court, requesting that no order be passed without hearing its side.

The All India Trinamool Congress has rejected the ED's claims, stating that there was no obstruction and that the action against I-PAC was aimed at accessing sensitive election-related material. The party views the case as politically motivated, especially with West Bengal Assembly elections approaching.

In a related development, the Supreme Court has put a stay on FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police against ED officials and has ordered the preservation of CCTV footage from January 8. The court has given the West Bengal government three days to file its counter-affidavit in response to the ED's allegations.