The Enforcement Directorate has sought the Supreme Court’s direction in filing an FIR against Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
In a writ application filed before the apex court on Monday, the agency has also asked for FIRs to be filed against the state director-general of police Rajeev Kumar and the Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma for “obstructing probe, tampering with and destroying evidence in a multi-state money laundering case against I-PAC.”
The central probe agency has said, that “protectors of law became party to a serious cognizable offence” as they "intimidated and threatened ED officers and snatched files and electronic evidence containing incriminating material.”
The ED has also pointed out that it had approached Calcutta High Court seeking a CBI probe but the “clout enjoyed by the CM and her supporters was used to create ruckus in the courtroom forcing the judge to adjourn hearing.”
The political consultancy firm which has worked with Narendra Modi and the BJP as well as the Congress, the DMK and AAP shares a very strong bond with the Trinamool Congress.
Mamata Banerjee’s rushing to the residence of the firm’s head Pratik Jain and later the office of I-PAC in Salt Lake has triggered a political slugfest in the run-up to the upcoming Bengal polls.
On Saturday, the ED had moved the SC seeking a CBI probe into the incident, soon after the state government filed a caveat stating no orders be passed on any ED petition without hearing the state’s version.
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.
Mamata has accused the central agency of attempting to steal details of the party’s probable candidates in the upcoming Assembly polls, campaign strategy and plans.
Addressing party supporters at Hazra crossing on Friday, Mamata had declared: “I have done nothing wrong. You were trying to steal all data from my office.”
Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari demanded the arrest of Mamata and the two top cops Kumar and Verma.
“We want to see Mamata Banerjee, DGP Rajeev Kumar and Police Commissioner Manoj Verma in jail for obstructing official work and search operations,” Adhikari said addressing a public meeting on Sunday in south Calcutta.
