ED vs Bengal Govt: Supreme Court to examine obstruction claims in I-PAC raid, tomorrow

The Supreme Court is set to hear a writ petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate against the State of West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and senior police officials over alleged interference with an ED search at the I-PAC office in Kolkata, a move that raises fresh questions on the autonomy of central agencies and alleged obstruction by state authorities.

The ED has approached the top court under Article 32 following a search conducted last week at the Kolkata office of the Indian Political Action Committee in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the coal scam. According to the agency, the Chief Minister arrived at the premises during the search, accompanied by party leaders, and allegedly confronted ED officials.

The agency claims that the incident created an intimidating atmosphere, disrupted the search, and that certain documents were removed from the premises, thereby hampering the investigation. The episode further escalated after the West Bengal Police registered an FIR against ED officers, prompting the agency to allege systematic non-cooperation by the state administration.

A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi will examine the ED’s plea seeking an independent probe by the CBI, with the agency arguing that only a neutral central investigation can ensure fairness in light of alleged executive interference. The ED has asserted that its officers were prevented from freely discharging their statutory duties, stating that the situation “seriously compromised the agency’s ability to function independently.”

The matter is slated for hearing, even as the Calcutta High Court has noted the ED’s statement that no seizure was ultimately made from the I-PAC office.