ED Vs Mamata On I-PAC Raids: Supreme Court Adjourns ED’s Plea To March 18

New Delhi: The legal battle between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the West Bengal government reached a high pitch in the Supreme Court today. 

A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan adjourned the hearing on the ED's petition against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to March 18, after a brief exchange over the alleged obstruction of a search operation at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC.

The case comes from a raid on January 8 on the Kolkata premises of I-PAC, the consultancy that handles election strategy for the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). 

The ED alleges that Chief Minister Banerjee, accompanied by the state's Director General of Police (DGP) and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, physically intervened in the raid, leading to the theft of crucial evidence and the intimidation of federal officers.

'Weaponised' or 'Terrorised'?

During the proceedings, the court witnessed a sharp verbal exchange between the legal representatives of both sides. 

Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the West Bengal officials, argued that the central agency needs to justify how it can be "weaponised" against political opponents.

In a rebuttal, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) SV Raju countered the narrative, stating, “It [the ED] has not been weaponised; it has been terrorised.” 

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that the ED's answer, a formal reply to the state’s counter-affidavit, was ready and would be filed during the day. 

Claims of Data Theft 

The ED has sought the registration of an FIR against the Chief Minister and top police officials, claiming they barged into the raid site to remove electronic devices and physical files. 

The agency maintains that these documents are essential to an ongoing money-laundering probe related to a multi-crore coal theft scam.

On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee has hit back with counter-accusations. She alleged that the ED was being used as a tool by the Centre to "steal" confidential election strategy data and candidate lists ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. 

The TMC maintains that the Chief Minister’s presence at the site was to protect the party’s sensitive political information from unauthorised access, not to obstruct justice.

The Supreme Court had previously stayed three FIRs lodged by the West Bengal police against ED officials and ordered the state to preserve all CCTV footage of the raid. 

As the matter moves to March 18, the Supreme Court is set to decide a critical question: whether a state’s law enforcement can interfere with a federal agency’s statutory investigation.

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