The Calcutta High Court’s Justice Suvra Ghosh will simultaneously hear three petitions on the Enforcement Directorate’s raids at the India Political Action Committee office and Pratik Jain’s residence on Friday. The ED accuses West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of impeding agency officials during the operations. Two counter-petitions have been filed by Pratik Jain and the Trinamool Congress against the ED’s main petition.
The Trinamool Congress alleges that the ED’s raid aimed to seize documents related to the party’s poll strategy for the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. Mamata Banerjee had earlier accused the ED of targeting I-PAC to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party. However, the ED clarified that the operations were linked to a coal smuggling syndicate and not I-PAC’s political affiliations.
The focus now shifts to the Calcutta High Court where the three petitions will be addressed together. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress announced a protest rally led by the Chief Minister against the ED’s actions. CPI(M) leader Md Salim criticized the ED for not arresting Mamata Banerjee for obstructing agency officials.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari warned that failure to act against Mamata Banerjee would send a negative message to the people of West Bengal regarding law enforcement.
