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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court with two petitions accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and state officials of obstructing its ongoing investigations. The agency claims that Banerjee personally interfered during raids conducted at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of Pratik Jain, a senior I-PAC executive linked to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). The petitions seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged interference, citing obstruction of justice and potential destruction of evidence.
The ED's actions stem from an alleged high-profile coal scam investigation, where, according to ED, I-PAC and Jain are under scrutiny for purported financial irregularities. In its filings, the agency detailed how Banerjee arrived at the raid sites, allegedly removing key documents, digital devices, and other evidence with the assistance of local police, thereby hampering the probe. The petitions sought judicial intervention to ensure a “fair investigation”, arguing that state-level interference undermines federal enforcement efforts.
The controversy erupted on January 8, 2026, when ED teams initiated simultaneous searches at I-PAC's Salt Lake office in Kolkata and Pratik Jain's residence as part of the coal scam probe. According to ED officials, the raids were based on credible evidence linking the entities to illicit financial activities.
High drama ensued at Jain's home, where Chief Minister Banerjee made an unexpected appearance amid the ongoing operation. ED sources report that she entered the premises, confronted the raiding team, and departed with files and a mobile phone, actions the agency describes as direct interference. Banerjee, however, defended her involvement, accusing the ED of politically motivated overreach aimed at accessing sensitive TMC data. She publicly labeled the raids as an attempt by central agencies to target opposition parties, a claim echoed by TMC leaders who view the actions as vendetta-driven.
Tensions escalated as state police reportedly resisted ED personnel, leading to a standoff that delayed the searches. I-PAC, in a statement following the raids, highlighted its non-partisan work history with various political parties, including the BJP, Congress, AAP, and TMC, and called the incident an "unsettling precedent" for independent political consulting.
In response to the ED's Supreme Court move, Pratik Jain and the TMC have filed counter-petitions, challenging the legality of the raids and alleging misuse of central powers. The West Bengal government has also lodged a caveat in the apex court to ensure it is heard before any orders are passed.
