The Supreme Court of India on Thursday issued notice to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and others on an Enforcement Directorate plea seeking a CBI probe over the alleged obstruction of its search operations on political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata.
Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar will also be served notice for allegedly obstructing the agency’s recent searches at the premises of I-PAC and the residence of its co-founder, Pratik Jain. The Supreme Court asked Banerjee and others to file their response to the ED’s petitions within two weeks.
The Apex court also stayed further proceedings in the FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against ED officials.
A bench of Justices P K Mishra and Vipul M Pancholi said, “Prima facie view that the present petition has raised a serious issue relating to the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or other central agencies and its interference by state agencies.”
The bench also directed that CCTV and other devices containing the footage of the search operations be preserved. The ED has also sought a direction for the return of evidence that CM Banerjee is alleged to have taken from premises linked to I-PAC.
Last week, Kolkata witnessed another standoff between the All India Trinamool Congress supremo and central agencies after Chief Minister Banerjee entered the I-PAC office while the ED was conducting searches in connection with a money-laundering probe.
Banerjee removed some documents and electronic devices from the premises, which she claimed contained information pertaining to her political party. I-PAC has been associated with the Trinamool Congress since the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The post Supreme Court issues notice to Mamata, stays FIRs against ED officials over I-PAC raids appeared first on Maktoob media.
