New Delhi : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court as it has filed an Article 32 petition, alleging that its investigation into the I-PAC coal scam case was obstructed by the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Describing what it termed a “showdown” during search operations conducted at premises linked to political consultancy firm I-PAC, which has been engaged in forming election strategy for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress.
The agency has alleged that physical documents and electronic devices were forcibly removed from the premises in the presence of senior state officials. The ED has argued that interference by state authorities, including police personnel, amounted to obstruction of justice and compromised the integrity of its probe. The West Bengal government filed a caveat in the Supreme Court. A caveat is a formal request seeking that no order be passed in a matter without hearing the concerned party.
Hearings in the matter were deferred after both a single-judge bench and a division bench led by the acting Chief Justice postponed proceedings until after January 14. The Trinamool and I-PAC filed counter-petitions in the Calcutta High Court, contesting the ED’s claims. The party maintained that the documents seized during the raids were related solely to election planning and campaign strategy.
With the matter now before the Supreme Court, the legal confrontation has entered a critical phase. The ED has urged the top court to intervene, asserting that without judicial protection, central agencies would be unable to function independently in states where they face institutional resistance. Addressing the media after walking from Jadavpur 8 B bus stand to Hazra more, Mamata said that she did nothing wrong.
“I did nothing wrong on Thursday. I had got the news and rang Prateek. He didn’t take the call so I visited his residence and took away my party’s documents and the central agency was planning to steal them. My party is my everything. If cannot save my party, how can I fight for the common people. I need a platform,” said Banerjee. “I have every document saved in pen drives. I haven’t made anything public as I love my country. If I make them public, it will create huge chaos across the world,” the West Bengal Chief Minister further stated.
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