The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday told the Supreme Court that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has a “very shocking pattern” of barging into premises whenever statutory authorities carry out raids or investigations.
The observation was made during the hearing of a petition filed by the ED concerning last week’s raids on the office of I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), a political consultancy firm working with the Trinamool Congress (TMC), in Kolkata.
Appearing for the ED, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju alleged that Mamata Banerjee’s conduct amounted to direct interference in the agency’s lawful proceedings. “In the past also, whenever statutory authorities exercised statutory powers, the CM barges into premises,” the ED told the court, according to LiveLaw.
The ED has sought directions from the Supreme Court to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the West Bengal government to suspend senior police officers, including DGP Rajiv Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, and DCP Priyabatra Roy, for alleged interference during the raids.
The Supreme Court also expressed concern over the “commotion” witnessed in the Calcutta High Court during hearings related to the I-PAC raids last Friday, where proceedings had to be adjourned due to disturbances. “We are very much disturbed with incidents in the Calcutta High Court,” the bench observed, as reported by PTI.
Representing the West Bengal government, senior advocate Kapil Sibal denied any obstruction by the chief minister. He claimed that Mamata Banerjee only took I-PAC chief Pratik Jain’s laptop and personal phone, asserting that no seizure had taken place until then and accusing the ED of acting with malafide intent ahead of state elections.
The bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul Pancholi is hearing the matter. The ED has moved the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, amid escalating tensions between the central agency and the West Bengal government over the raids linked to an alleged money laundering probe.