Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has escalated its battle with the West Bengal government by filing a petition in the Supreme Court, accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of directly interfering in and obstructing its money laundering probe linked to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam.
The drama unfolded on January 8 when ED teams raided the Kolkata headquarters of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC)— a key election strategist for the Trinamool Congress — and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain.
According to the ED’s Article 32 petition, the searches proceeded smoothly until Banerjee arrived at the sites with a large police contingent. The agency alleges she entered Jain’s Loudon Road residence, forcibly removed “key” evidence — including physical documents, hard discs, mobile phones, and other electronic devices — and repeated the action at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake Sector V.
The ED claims this amounted to a “blatant disregard of law”, with state police failing to assist and even preventing officers from performing duties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. It has sought directions to safeguard its investigation and reportedly urged a CBI probe into Banerjee, senior police officials, and others for alleged obstruction.
The move follows the Calcutta High Court’s adjournment of related hearings until January 14 due to courtroom chaos. The West Bengal government responded by filing a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure its hearing before any adverse order.
Banerjee has strongly denied the charges, calling the raids politically motivated to “steal” TMC’s internal election strategy, candidate lists, and sensitive data ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. She led a massive protest march in Kolkata on Friday, flanked by party leaders and Bengali film stars, vowing to fight back.
This high-stakes showdown has intensified political temperatures in Bengal, with the BJP accusing TMC of misuse of power, while TMC labels the ED a tool of the Centre.