The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage-linked money laundering case.
File Photo: IANS
The West Bengal government has filed a caveat before the Supreme Court in connection with the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raids on political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and its director, Pratik Jain.
By filing the caveat, the state government has requested that no order be passed by the apex court without first allowing it to be heard.
A caveat is filed under law to ensure that the court does not pass any adverse or ex parte order against a party without hearing its side.
The move comes amid a major controversy following searches conducted by the ED on January 8 at multiple premises linked to I-PAC and its director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata.
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The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage-linked money laundering case.
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The ED also conducted related searches in Delhi and other parts of West Bengal.
According to the ED, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee allegedly entered one of the raid locations during the search and removed “key” evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices, which the agency claims were taken away from its custody.
The ED has alleged that this amounted to interference in an ongoing investigation.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has strongly denied these allegations and accused the central agency of exceeding its authority and acting with political motives.
On January 9, the ED approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged obstruction of its search operations.
The agency alleged that the Chief Minister, with the help of state police officers, interfered with the raid at Pratik Jain’s residence and removed incriminating material.
In its petition before the Calcutta High Court, the ED claimed that around Rs 20 crore in hawala funds, allegedly linked to coal pilferage, had been routed to I-PAC.
The agency stated that I-PAC has been working as a political consultant for the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the West Bengal government since 2021.
The petition claimed that “concrete material” found during the investigation showed that the proceeds of crime were transferred to I-PAC through hawala channels.
The ED further alleged that despite being requested not to interfere, the Chief Minister entered Pratik Jain’s residence on Loudon Road and later the I-PAC office at Salt Lake during the PMLA search.
The agency claimed that digital devices and important documents were “forcibly taken” with the assistance of police personnel and that CM Mamta Banerjee left the premises around 12:15 pm on January 8.
The ED has sought directions for immediate seizure, sealing, and forensic preservation of the digital devices and documents allegedly taken away. It has also requested interim orders restraining access to, deletion, or tampering of the data.
Additionally, the agency alleged that local panch witnesses present during the raid were taken away by state officials and forced to record that the search was conducted peacefully and that nothing incriminating was found.
According to the ED, the witnesses were made to give statements contrary to the facts.
Responding to the allegations, Chief Minister Banerjee accused the ED of acting as a political tool of the BJP and attempting to “steal” her party’s internal strategy.
On January 9, she led a 10-km protest march in Kolkata from Jadavpur to Hazra Crossing, asserting that she had not done anything illegal.
“I intervened as the TMC chairperson, not as the chief minister. They came to steal my party data. I will expose everything if needed,” she said while addressing the rally.
Meanwhile, proceedings in the Calcutta High Court took an unusual turn on January 9 when Justice Suvra Ghosh, who was hearing several related petitions, left the courtroom citing excessive crowding.
The Supreme Court has not yet taken up any petition in the matter, but the filing of the caveat indicates that the West Bengal government is preparing to contest any move by the ED before the apex court.
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