ED v Mamata: Supreme Court to hear probe agency’s petition against Bengal CM over I-PAC raids today

I-PAC, a political consultancy firm, works with several parties including Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which governs West Bengal.

The ED moved the apex court after its plea against Banerjee was postponed by the Calcutta High Court due to disruption in the courtroom.

During Wednesday’s hearing at the Calcutta High Court, Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned the matter, stating, “On the ground that ED has filed an SLP before the Supreme Court, the matter is adjourned. Liberty to mention after the Supreme Court matter is disposed of.”

What’s the matter?

The ED on January 8 conducted raids at 10 locations — six in West Bengal and four in Delhi — in connection with its probe into the alleged coal smuggling scam. Of the six locations in Kolkata, two were linked to political consultancy firm I-PAC, which works with the TMC.

Searches reportedly began around 7 am at the ED office in Salt Lake Sector V and at the Loudon Street residence of I-PAC India head Pratik Jain in Kolkata.

Hours into the raid, Mamata Banerjee made an unannounced visit to Jain’s residence. She later emerged carrying a green file, a laptop and a mobile phone, believed to belong to the I-PAC official.

Banerjee subsequently visited the I-PAC office, climbed to the 11th floor and retrieved additional documents, which were transferred to a vehicle by her security personnel.