The Supreme Court of India has intervened in a high-stakes confrontation between the Enforcement Directorate and Kolkata Police over a thwarted raid at I-Pac’s headquarters. The agency accuses state forces of deliberately blocking its lawful operations, terming it an assault on federal investigative powers.
On a tense Thursday morning, ED officers equipped with search warrants approached the Indian Political Action Committee (I-Pac) office in Sector V, Salt Lake. Their mission: unearth evidence of financial irregularities tied to Abhishek Banerjee’s political empire. Instead, they faced a wall of uniformed personnel who refused entry, citing ‘local jurisdiction’ and ‘security concerns.’ Videos of the impasse went viral, fueling national debate.
In court, ED’s legal team painted a picture of systematic sabotage. ‘State police acted as private security for suspects,’ they alleged, urging the apex court to direct unrestricted access. The bench, comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, recorded the submissions and called for West Bengal’s counter-affidavit by next Monday.
I-Pac, often dubbed the ‘secret weapon’ behind TMC’s successive poll triumphs, specializes in micro-targeting voters through sophisticated algorithms. Current probes link the firm to siphoning public funds via sham appointments in Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other bodies, with transactions exceeding crores routed through shell entities.
Opposition parties have rallied behind the Banerjee camp, decrying ED’s actions as ‘electoral sabotage.’ Meanwhile, BJP leaders demand a free hand for central probes. This face-off underscores deepening Centre-state rifts, reminiscent of past skirmishes in liquor policy and sand mining cases.
As hearings progress, stakeholders await clarity on whether states can impede scheduled enforcement actions. A definitive judgment might compel procedural reforms, ensuring agencies operate without local pushback.