BIG move by ED in I-PAC case involving Mamata Banerjee govt, probe agency approaches Supreme Court to seek...

The Enforcement Directorate sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the I-PAC coal scam case as it approaches the Supreme Court following alleged 'probe obstruction' by the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The probe agency claimed that its "right to conduct a fair and independent investigation has been curtailed by the state machinery." The development comes after the Calcutta High Court adjourned the hearing on its urgent plea.

 In its petition, ED detailed a sequence of events describing what it termed a "showdown" during search operations I-PAC premises. The central agency accused Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of obstructing ED officials and preventing them from performing their public duties, allegedly in a "flagrant and blatant disregard of law," during a search operation conducted in Kolkata on January 8. The probe agency has alleged that physical documents and electronic devices were forcibly removed in the presence of senior state officials.

Mamata Banerjee's govt files caveat in SC 

On the other hand, the Mamta Banerjee-led state government has filed a caveat before the apex court in anticipation that the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) may approach the Supreme Court against alleged interference in its search operations. The West Bengal government sought that no order be passed without hearing it. The caveat comes in the backdrop of ED's search raids conducted on Thursday at the headquarters of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) - a political consultancy firm linked to the All India Trinamool Congress, and at the Kolkata residence of its director, Pratik Jain.

The West  Bengal government alleged that the ED seized all data and digital records from I-PAC's office. In its petition, the government has sought directions to the ED to return all seized materials, including private, sensitive and confidential data, along with information and documents taken in both physical and electronic form. The State government claimed that the allegedly unlawfully seized data belongs to the Trinamool Congress and relates to its party operations. The matter was adjourned by a bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh on Thursday due to chaos and commotion inside the courtroom, which made it difficult to hear the case. The High Court has now posted the matter for hearing on January 14.

IPAC raids by EC

On January 8, the controversy erupted when the ED conducted searches at I-PAC's premises and at the Kolkata residence of its director in connection with a money-laundering investigation linked to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam. Following which Mamata Banerjee govt launched a protest in Kolkata against the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were detained in the national capital for protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office. Condemning the detentions, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in a post on X, termed the action "shameful and unacceptable", accusing the BJP of "double standards" in its treatment of protests by ruling party leaders and opposition MPs.

(With inputs from ANI)