New Delhi, May 22: The Supreme Court will hear a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday. The ED seeks directions for filing an FIR against Banerjee, the then Director General of Police (DGP), and the Kolkata Police Commissioner.
The ED’s petition alleges that earlier this year, during a raid at the Kolkata office of the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), Banerjee and senior state police officials interfered with the investigation. A bench led by Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N.V. Anjaria has scheduled the next hearing for Friday.
This case is linked to the ED’s raids on January 8 at the IPAC office and the residence of co-founder Pratik Jain. These operations were part of an investigation into a money laundering case connected to an alleged coal smuggling scandal.
The agency claims that Banerjee, along with police personnel and senior officials, entered the IPAC office and Jain’s home during the search, obstructing the investigation. The ED alleges that its officers were threatened and prevented from carrying out their duties during the raid.
During a previous hearing, the Supreme Court remarked that interference by a sitting Chief Minister in an ongoing investigation could jeopardize democracy. Justice Mishra’s bench stated, “This is not merely a dispute between the state and the center. It is an act by an individual who happens to be a Chief Minister and is endangering the entire system and democracy.”
In her response, Banerjee denied the allegations of obstruction, asserting that her limited presence at the site was solely to retrieve confidential and proprietary data related to the Trinamool Congress. According to her affidavit, she entered the premises upon learning that sensitive political data regarding the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections was being examined during the search.
The affidavit further claims that ED officials allowed the retrieval of certain devices and documents, after which the search continued in a peaceful and orderly manner.
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