The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday approached the Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe into the incidents of January 8, alleging the Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had obstructed the proceedings while a raid was being carried out.
The central agency has claimed that its right to conduct a fair and independent investigation was curtailed by the state machinery.
The move came soon after the Bengal government filed a caveat in the Supreme Court that the apex court will not pass any order without giving a hearing to the state.
Sources said in its petition the agency has described Thursday’s events as a “showdown”. While raids were being carried out at the office of the political consultancy firm, I-PAC and its head Pratik Jain’s residence chief minister Mamata Banerjee, along with top police officers had walked in and left with documents and electronic devices.
The ED has claimed that its officials were prevented from lawfully carrying out searches and seizure of materials relevant to an ongoing probe.
The agency alleged physical documents and electronic devices were forcibly removed from the premises in the presence of senior state officials. The agency claimed that the interference by state authorities, including senior police officers, amounted to obstruction of justice and compromised the integrity of its probe.
Both the ED and the Bengal government are locked in a legal battle at the Calcutta High Court on the same issue.
In its plea filed before the Calcutta High Court, the ED has accused chief minister Mamata Banerjee of “forcible theft” of “digital devices and documents.”
At the Calcutta High Court on Friday afternoon, Justice Subhra Ghosh walked out as the din in the overcrowded courtroom, packed with lawyers with links to both the Trinamool and the BJP, the matter could not be heard. Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul declined to intervene in the matter as requested by the ED’s counsel.
The matter is scheduled to come up before Justice Ghosh on January 14.
Before the Calcutta High Court, the agency has sought a CBI probe into the entire incident including the role of the chief minister and senior police officers, like the state DGP Rajeev Kumar, the Calcutta Police chief Manoj Verma and others.
Senior counsel Kapil Sibal who has represented the Bengal government and the Trinamool in several key legal battles had on Friday said, only the SC could rein in ED.
“Only Supreme Court can rein in ED. Every opposition state, every significant opposition leader is targeted. What is happening in West Bengal is truly disturbing. That too in the midst of an impending election. Federalism is at ED’s mercy,” Sibal wrote in his X account.