New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) petition seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and certain state officials over alleged obstruction during an ED raid in Kolkata.
The matter is listed before a Bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi for hearing on January 15. The ED has sought an independent inquiry into the events that unfolded during searches conducted on January 8 at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain.
Ahead of the hearing, the West Bengal government has filed a caveat in the apex court, requesting that no order be passed without granting it an opportunity to present its case. A caveat is filed to prevent ex-parte decisions in the absence of the concerned party.
Earlier, both the ED and the state government had moved the Calcutta High Court with petitions against each other on the same issue. On Wednesday, the High Court closed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government’s plea after the ED informed the court that it had seized no material during the I-PAC raids.
In its petition before the Supreme Court, the ED has alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the raid locations and removed crucial physical documents and electronic devices. The agency claimed that her presence at the search sites had an intimidating effect on officers and seriously hampered the investigation.
The ED further alleged non-cooperation by the state administration and argued that interference by the state executive necessitated a probe by an independent central agency. It maintained that only a CBI inquiry could ensure a fair and unbiased investigation.
The January 8 searches were part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage case. The ED has accused the Chief Minister and other senior officials of causing obstruction during the operation.
Earlier, the agency had also urged the Calcutta High Court to order a CBI probe into the incident, naming senior police officials, including Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, in connection with the alleged interference.
The state government, meanwhile, has sought safeguards against what it described as the possible misuse of data purportedly seized during the raids.
