The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday the Enforcement Directorate (ED)’s plea against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly obstructing the central probe agency’s raids at the Trinamool Congress party’s political consultant I-PAC’s office.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M Pancholi will hear the petition filed by the ED under Article 32 of the Constitution.
In the plea, the probe agency has sought the top court’s directions for a CBI inquiry into the alleged interference by the Bengal CM in its investigation.
The plea was filed against CM Banerjee and WB Police officials Rajeev Kumar, Manoj Kumar Verma and Priyabatra Roy.
The plea was filed after the West Bengal Chief Minister reached the office of I-PAC and its head Pratik Jain’s residence in Kolkata when an ED raid was underway.
Banerjee removed some documents she claimed were related to her party. The ED, however, alleged that CM Banerjee forcibly removed key evidence.
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court today also heard petitions filed by the ED and the Trinamool Congress in connection with the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) raids.
During the hearing, the ED told the high court that its raid had nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress.
“The search was conducted somewhere else, but another party is coming and saying that my data was with them. This is not how it works…The raid had nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress, and the person who was raided by the ED has not come before you,” the agency argued.
The ED also informed the court that nothing was seized during its raid, and ”whatever was seized was seized by CM Banerjee”.
The TMC argued that it only prayed for the preservation of confidential political data and protection of the same from being divulged.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the high court noted that the matter had also been listed before the Supreme Court and adjourned the matter on that account.
“On the ground that ED has filed an SLP before the SC, the matter is adjourned. Liberty to mention after the SC matter is disposed of…,” the High Court said.