Kolkata: High drama played out in the Calcutta High Court on Friday as hearings related to Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the residence of political consultancy firm I-PAC’s director Pratik Jain were adjourned after disruptions inside the courtroom. The judge said the proceedings could not continue due to what she described as “enormous disturbance” during the hearing.
The ED moved the court amid heightened political tension in West Bengal following searches conducted at locations linked to I-PAC in connection with the alleged 2020 coal smuggling case. The situation escalated a day earlier when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the I-PAC office while the raids were underway, turning the enforcement action into a major political flashpoint ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Banerjee accused central agencies of attempting to seize sensitive party materials, including documents and hard disks that she claimed contained details related to the Trinamool Congress’s election candidates and campaign strategy. Targeting the BJP-led Centre, she alleged that agencies were being misused to undermine her party. Addressing reporters, the TMC chief said such actions would only weaken the BJP politically and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rein in the Union home minister.
Inside the high court on Friday, Justice Suvra Ghosh noted that a large number of lawyers and others entered the courtroom while the matter was being taken up, creating chaos and commotion. The judge observed that repeated appeals to maintain decorum and allow the hearing to proceed were ignored, making it impossible for the court to function normally. Citing the unconducive atmosphere, the court adjourned the matter.
The high court was scheduled to hear two separate petitions—one filed by the ED and the other by the All India Trinamool Congress. The ED’s plea seeks a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Banerjee, alleging she obstructed an ongoing investigation, while the TMC has approached the court seeking directions to restrain the ED from sharing or leaking any information related to the party.
Later in the day, Banerjee intensified her confrontation with the Centre by leading a large protest rally in Kolkata. She accused the BJP of using central agencies to interfere in the electoral process and “steal” the TMC’s political strategy as West Bengal gears up for the high-stakes assembly elections.
