ED accuses Mamata Banerjee of obstructing I-PAC probe, moves Supreme Court

New Delhi: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has approached the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, alleging that the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee interfered with its investigation into the I-PAC coal scam.

The petition stems from an incident last week, when ED officials conducted searches at the Kolkata office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) as part of the probe. During the search, the Chief Minister allegedly arrived at the premises along with senior leaders of her party and confronted the ED team. The agency has further claimed that certain files were taken away from the office during the raid, which it says hampered the investigation.

According to the ED, the Chief Minister’s presence at the search location and the alleged removal of documents created an intimidating atmosphere for officers and seriously undermined the agency’s ability to perform its statutory duties independently. The ED has also alleged persistent obstruction and lack of cooperation from the state administration. Before moving to the Supreme Court, the agency had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking protection and appropriate directions in connection with the same incident. The High Court has adjourned the matter and scheduled it for hearing on January 14.

Separately, the West Bengal Police have registered an FIR against ED officials.

In its petition before the Supreme Court, the ED has sought directions for an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation, arguing that a neutral central agency is required in light of the alleged interference by the state executive.

Meanwhile, the ruling All India Trinamool Congress has rejected the ED’s allegations and has also moved the Calcutta High Court regarding the raids. The party has claimed that the ED’s action against I-PAC, which serves as its election consultant, was carried out with ulterior motives to gain access to confidential election strategy materials.

The TMC has maintained that the searches were aimed at disrupting its electoral preparations rather than pursuing a genuine investigation.
(With Live Law inputs)