NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday moved the Supreme Court alleging interference and obstruction by the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government during search operations at the Kolkata headquarters of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee(I-PAC) and the residence of its director Pratik Jain. Meanwhile, the state government filed a caveat seeking to be heard before any adverse order is passed.The Bengal government’s caveat was filed after the ED carried out searches on Thursday at I-PAC’s office and Jain’s residence as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam. A caveat allows a party to ensure that no order is issued without giving it an opportunity to present its case.
The ED has alleged that chief minister Mamata Banerjee entered the raid locations and took away what it described as “key” evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. Banerjee has rejected the allegations and accused the central agency of overreach.On Friday, the ED approached the Calcutta high court seeking judicial intervention, accusing the state police, allegedly acting in collusion with the chief minister, of obstructing its officials during the January 8 search operation. In its writ petition, the agency said the police failed to discharge their public duty in “flagrant and blatant disregard to law” and prevented ED officers from exercising their powers under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.The Calcutta high court adjourned the hearing in the ED versus Trinamool Congress matter till January 14, 2026, citing an unconducive atmosphere in the courtroom due to heavy congestion caused by the presence of a large number of lawyers.In its 28-page petition, the ED alleged that the situation escalated after the Chief Minister entered the residential premises of Pratik Jain during the search and removed incriminating material. The agency said it had invoked the High Court’s writ jurisdiction to “instil public confidence” in the functioning of the state administration and to immediately stop what it termed as “overreach” by the state police and the Chief Minister.The raids and subsequent court proceedings sparked sharp political reactions. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s West Bengal unit questioned the role of I-PAC in the functioning of the state government after Banerjee said the firm was an authorised team of the All India Trinamool Congress.In a post on X, BJP West Bengal said, “Mamata Banerjee said that IPAC is in charge of Trinamool. It is their internal matter if they want a private agency to run the party and decide tickets and organisational positions. But what were Government of West Bengal documents doing in the IPAC office? Is IPAC intervening in the functioning of the West Bengal government?”Calling it a constitutional issue, the BJP alleged that bureaucrats appeared to be reporting to a private agency and demanded clarification from the chief minister. “This is a direct challenge to the Constitution, where the bureaucracy appears to be reporting to a private agency. In the past also, we have seen emails sent by bureaucrats to IPAC employees to decide the campaign of the West Bengal government. Mamata Banerjee is accountable to the people of West Bengal and should clarify whether an agency from outside the state, staffed by people from other states, is intervening in the functioning of the government,” the post said.Earlier on Friday, several Trinamool Congress MPs were detained in New Delhi while protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s office against the ED raid on the I-PAC office. Condemning the detentions, Banerjee described the action as “shameful and unacceptable” in a post on X, accusing the BJP of “double standards” in its treatment of protests by ruling party leaders and opposition MPs.
