New Delhi, February 3: The Supreme Court will hear a petition from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday. The petition alleges that the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee interfered during a recent raid at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the home of its co-founder, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata.
According to the cause list published on the Supreme Court‘s website, a bench led by Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M. Pancholi will resume the hearing of this case.
In its petition, the ED has sought the registration of an FIR against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), and the Kolkata Police Commissioner for allegedly obstructing legal duties during the raid operation.
During the previous hearing, the Supreme Court had stayed the FIR filed by the West Bengal police against ED officials concerning the raid. The court noted that the petitions raised serious questions about the interference of state agencies in a central investigation.
The bench, presided over by Justice Mishra, issued notices to the Chief Minister and senior police officials, granting them two weeks to file their response. The case is scheduled for further hearing on February 3.
In its interim order, the court directed the preservation of CCTV footage and other digital storage devices from the raided premises and surrounding areas. It emphasized that the petitions raised a serious issue regarding the investigation by the ED and the interference by state agencies.
The court warned that unresolved issues could lead to chaos in one or more states.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, described the incident as a case where mob rule has replaced democracy. He alleged that officials from the central agency were intimidated and prevented from performing their legal duties.
On the other hand, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the West Bengal government, objected to the maintainability of the ED’s petition. He accused the ED of forum shopping and argued that adequate remedies were already available in the Calcutta High Court, where similar petitions were pending.
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