The Trinamool Congress and political consultancy firm I-PAC on Thursday moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the legality of searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at several locations in Kolkata and Bidhannagar on Thursday.
The move came hours after the Enforcement Directorate itself approached the High Court, alleging “illegal interference” in its search operations. The central agency, in its petition, sought judicial intervention over what it described as “hindrance and obstruction” by the Chief Minister to its officers while carrying out searches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of attempting to seize the Trinamool Congress’ internal documents and digital data during searches conducted at several locations linked to political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata and Bidhannagar in connection with a money laundering case.
The ED carried out raids at multiple locations, including I-PAC’s office on the 11th floor of a Salt Lake building, the Loudon Street residence of I-PAC head Pratik Jain, and the office of a trader in Posta, Burrabazar.
Following the raids, Mamata Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence and alleged that the central agency was trying to collect her party’s confidential information.
“Is it the duty of Home Minister Amit Shah and the ED to take away all my party documents? If I go to the BJP party office, what will be the result? Just because there is an election, they are taking away all my party’s documents,” she said.
Calling the action “most unfortunate,” Banerjee said the ED had raided the house and office of the party’s IT wing and its head. “They are trying to collect all the information. I rang up Pratik, he is in charge of my party,” she said, emerging with a file in her hand.
“I have collected the party file. They are trying to get details of all our party activities and plans, including the candidate list and our internal information. Is this the duty of the ED and Amit Shah?” she asked, displaying a green folder and a hard drive. “What if I raid the BJP party office? What will be the fallout?” she added.
The Chief Minister later reached I-PAC’s Salt Lake office, where Trinamool Congress workers had gathered in protest. Additional central forces and personnel from the Bidhannagar Commissionerate were deployed at the spot. Kolkata police officers were also seen loading files into Mamata Banerjee’s car parked in the basement.
Additionally, Pratik Jain’s family filed a police complaint alleging theft of documents by ED officials during the raid, while TMC announced protest marches led by Mamata Banerjee.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate said the searches were conducted peacefully until the arrival of the West Bengal Chief Minister along with state police and officials, who, it claimed, forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence from two premises.
The agency said the search was evidence-based, not targeted at any political party, that no party office was searched, and that the action was not linked to any elections but part of its routine crackdown on money laundering, carried out strictly in accordance with legal procedures.
In its statement before the High Court, the ED said its actions were evidence-based and legally mandated, and were part of a broader money-laundering probe linked to alleged hawala transactions in 2020 involving an operator connected to coal smuggling and related funds.
Meanwhile, several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs were detained by the Delhi Police on Friday while protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s office against the Enforcement Directorate’s raid on the Kolkata offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC.
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