The Supreme Court took up the Enforcement Directorate’s petition accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state police officials of obstructing a search at political consultancy firm I-PAC’s Kolkata office, as the agency declared before the bench that it had not been “weaponized” but “terrorized.” The matter, which raises sharp questions about federal power and investigative autonomy, has now been posted for March 18.
The clash stems from a January 8 search conducted by the ED at the office of I-PAC in connection with a coal scam money laundering probe. The agency alleges that during the operation, the Chief Minister arrived at the premises with party leaders and that certain files were removed, hampering the investigation. It further claims repeated interference and intimidation by the state machinery, including the registration of FIRs against ED officers.
Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing in the proceedings, argued that the agency must justify what he described as “weaponization,” prompting Additional Solicitor General SV Raju to respond that the ED had instead been subjected to pressure and obstruction. The State has questioned the maintainability of the ED’s Article 32 petition, pointing to parallel proceedings before the Calcutta High Court.
A bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice KV Viswanathan noted that serious constitutional issues arise from the standoff and had earlier stayed further proceedings in three FIRs lodged against ED officials. The Court had cautioned that failure to address the matter could lead to a “situation of lawlessness” and directed preservation of CCTV footage from the search site and surrounding areas.
During the latest hearing, the bench recorded the Solicitor General’s submission that a rejoinder would be filed and scheduled the case for further consideration on March 18.
Picture Source :
