The Supreme Court is set to hear a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday. The ED alleges interference by the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during recent search operations at the office of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder in Kolkata. The ED has requested FIRs against the Chief Minister, the state DGP, and the Kolkata Police Commissioner for obstructing lawful duties during the raids.
The Supreme Court had previously stayed FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police against ED officials. This was due to concerns over alleged interference by state agencies in a central investigation. The court has given the Chief Minister and senior police officials two weeks to respond and scheduled further hearings for February 3. The interim order also mandates the preservation of CCTV footage and digital storage devices related to the searches.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, described the incident as a case of “mobocracy replacing democracy.” He claimed that ED officials were intimidated and prevented from performing their duties. On the other side, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the West Bengal government, raised objections to the ED’s petition. Singhvi alleged forum shopping and argued that the Calcutta High Court already had similar pending prayers.
