Calcutta High Court disposes of Trinamool's plea in I-PAC office search; adjourns ED's application

Kolkata: The Supreme Court is slated to hear on Thursday a plea moved by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging interference and obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by CM 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 scam.

On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court disposed of a petition by the Trinamool that the ED had seized documents from I-PAC office during their recent raids and that they must be preserved by court. Justice Suvra Ghosh disposed of the case as ED claimed that they have not seized any documents from the I-PAC office. ED had sought adjournment of their petition as it is pending before the SC.

The ED had, on Wednesday, submitted before the HC that the CM had seized all the records and digital devices "illegally" and "committed an offence" during the recent raids at the I-PAC offices in Kolkata. However, ED asserted that it made "no seizures". Additional Solicitor General SV Raju submitted before the HC that the records were seized by Banerjee and the plea to return the assets is not maintainable unless Banerjee was made a party in the case. Raju submitted that "in the absence of the DGP and Commissioner of Police, who abetted the offence, the case is not maintainable".


Two petitions were filed in the Calcutta High Court.

ED's petition alleged illegal interference during its search operations. They stated that Banerjee removed physical documents and electronic evidence on two of the premises during ED's raid at the office of poll-strategy agency -- India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) -- at Salt Lake in Kolkata and the residence of I-PAC's co-founder, Pratik Jain, in central Kolkata last Thursday. Trinamool Congress had filed a writ petition in the HC that ED has seized the documents from I-PAC office and that they must be preserved by court.

SV Raju said, "The records were seized by CM Mamata Banerjee. Therefore, these prayers of return of the assets, which Banerjee seized, are not maintainable unless Banerjee is a party." Raju said that the person who signed the affidavit was not privy to the case. However, this ground was dealt with since the TMC had authorised the person to file the petition on its behalf.

The 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.

- (With Agency Inputs)