New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear on Thursday a plea moved by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging interference and obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its probe and search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director, Pratik Jain, in connection with an alleged coal-pilferage scam.
The development has come after the Calcutta High Court which was hearing the matter today (Wednesday) dismissed petitions of both — TMC and ED — in the I-PAC raid case.
According to the cause list of the apex court, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi is likely to hear the matter.
The West Bengal government has also filed a caveat in the top court, seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with the ED raids against political-consultancy firm I-PAC last week.
A caveat is filed by a litigant in high courts and the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against it without it being heard.
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What Happened in Calcutta High Court During I-PAC Hearing
Earlier today, ED had levelled serious charges against Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of stealing documents when it carried out raids at two premises linked to IPAC on January 8.
Appearing on behalf of ED, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju told the Calcutta High Court, “On the instructions of officers with me, we have not seized any documents at the two premises raided on 8th January… Whatever we had was taken away by Mamata Banerjee.”
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He made this submission after senior advocate Dr Maneka Guruswamy, who was representing TMC, repeatedly asked the Calcutta High Court that ED should tell them that no confidential documents have been seized.
In the heated hearing that lasted for nearly two hours, ED also questioned the locus standi of TMC as the petitioner in the case. “The person who filed the petition has nothing to do with Pratik Jain. The person who filed the petition is not maintable,” said ASG Raju. “The petition is not maintable. How does a person know that documents have been seized?” he added.
ASG Raju continued to maintain that no confidential data was seized during raids conducted on 8th January. “If data has been seized, then it’s maintable. The data has been seized by Mamata,” he said.
On this point, Dr Guruswamy interjected and told the Calcutta High Court that this is not the manner in which a sitting West Bengal CM should be addressed. “Give dignity to the chief minister. Do not call her names,” she said.
In the Calcutta High Court, ED reiterated that the powers to conduct raids and searches are covered under section 17 of the PMLA. “ED powers are being heard in the Supreme Court,” ASG Raju said.
The Enforcement Directorate has filed two petitions in the Supreme Court. While one plea has been filed by the ED, the other has been filed by officials of the probe agency.
On January 8, ED had conducted raids at 10 locations in an alleged money laundering case revolving around the coal smuggling case.
The probe agency’s raids at two premises linked to IPAC caused a political firestorm when West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee reached the spot. While Mamata Banerjee accused ED of stealing confidential data, ED has claimed that she has disrupted their raids.
With inputs from PTI
