The Calcutta High Court declined the Enforcement Directorate’s request for an immediate hearing regarding the recent raid at the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office and co-founder Pratik Jain’s residence. The ED’s plea for an urgent hearing was turned down by the division bench, which set the next hearing date for January 14. Despite the ED’s efforts to expedite the process, the court insisted on following the original schedule determined by Justice Ghosh’s bench.
The Enforcement Directorate had urged for a swift resolution before January 14, proposing a transfer to another bench if necessary, but this request was also denied. The division bench instructed the central agency’s counsel to submit a written appeal, which was later rejected due to an existing judicial order fixing the hearing for January 14. The case revolves around allegations of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee obstructing the ED’s official duties during the raid and search operations.
Accusations of misusing her constitutional authority have been made against the Chief Minister, prompting the ED to call for a CBI investigation and implicating her in the case. Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the involvement of senior police officials accompanying the Chief Minister during the operations. The Trinamool Congress, in a counter-petition, claimed that the raid was an attempt to seize documents related to I-PAC’s voter strategy for the 2026 Assembly polls and share them with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
