The Supreme Court of India has pushed back its hearing on a high-stakes petition by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) targeting West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to February 10. This comes amid escalating tensions in the I-PAC raid case, where the ED alleges blatant obstruction by state machinery during critical searches.
At the heart of the dispute is a raid conducted by ED teams at the Kolkata office of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and co-founder Prateek Jain’s home. According to the agency, West Bengal police, under directions from the top, swooped in to halt the operation, raising serious questions about executive overreach.
ED’s counsel, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had earlier termed the episode a direct threat to democracy, urging FIRs against Banerjee, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and Kolkata CP Vineet Goyal. The court, in its last order, halted such actions and ordered safeguarding of all digital records from the sites.
Defending the state, Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued the petition was inadmissible, pointing to parallel proceedings in the Calcutta High Court. He dismissed ED’s move as an attempt to bypass lower courts.
Fresh updates in court revealed the state submitted its reply just hours before the hearing, prompting the bench to grant ED time for a counter-affidavit. This procedural step highlights the meticulous judicial scrutiny in cases blending politics and enforcement.
The February 10 date now looms large, with stakeholders eyeing how the court balances federal investigative autonomy against state rights. Analysts suggest the verdict could influence future ED operations in opposition-ruled states, amid accusations of political vendetta from both sides.