4 months ago
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The Enforcement Directorate told the Supreme Court connected Thursday (January 15, 2026) that the West Bengal government's "interference and obstruction", including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, successful its probe and hunt cognition astatine the I-PAC bureau and its chief's residence reflects a precise shocking pattern.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, told a Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi that successful the past also, whenever statutory authorities exercised statutory power, Ms. Banerjee barged successful and interfered.
"It reflects a precise shocking pattern," Mr. Mehta said portion contending that this volition lone promote specified acts, and the cardinal forces volition beryllium demoralised.
"The States volition consciousness they tin barge in, perpetrate theft, and past beryllium connected a dharna. Let an illustration beryllium set; officers who were explicitly contiguous determination should beryllium suspended," the Solicitor General said.
The ED's plea successful the apex tribunal follows events from January 8, erstwhile ED's officials faced obstructions during the probe agency's raids astatine the bureau of governmental consultancy steadfast I-PAC successful Salt Lake and the residence of its chief, Pratik Jain, successful Kolkata successful transportation with a ember smuggling case.
The probe bureau has claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the premises and took distant "key" grounds related to the probe.
The Chief Minister has accused the cardinal bureau of overreach, portion her party, Trinamool Congress, has denied the ED's allegation of "obstructing" its probe. The state's constabulary person registered an FIR against ED officers.
