Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh is set to conduct parallel hearings on three petitions and counter-petitions related to the recent Enforcement Directorate’s raid at the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office and co-founder Pratik Jain’s residence. The raids occurred at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and Jain’s residence on Loudon Street in Kolkata.
Originally scheduled for January 9, the hearings were postponed due to a courtroom commotion. Chief Justice Sujoy Paul has now restricted courtroom entry to only the involved parties and counsels for the upcoming hearings. There is uncertainty whether Justice Ghosh will preside over the case as the ED has a pending petition at the Supreme Court.
One of the petitions accuses West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of obstructing the ED’s official duties during the raids. The ED has requested a CBI investigation into the matter, implicating the Chief Minister and senior police officials. Additionally, there are counter-petitions from Pratik Jain and the Trinamool Congress.
The Trinamool Congress alleges that the ED raid was aimed at seizing documents related to their 2026 Assembly poll strategy, suggesting a political motive. The hearings are crucial in resolving the legal complexities surrounding the controversial raids and their aftermath.
