The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed cross-petitions filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in connection with the recent raids conducted at the offices and residence linked to the party’s election consultancy firm, I-PAC. With the High Court declining to intervene, the legal confrontation is now set to continue in the Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear the ED’s petition on Thursday.
The Enforcement Directorate had approached the High Court alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had removed a laptop, mobile phone and several documents from the residence of Pratik Jain, the head of I-PAC, as well as from the firm’s offices during the agency’s search operations.
In response, the Trinamool Congress filed a counter-petition accusing the central agency of seizing sensitive documents related to the party’s political strategy and ideological framework. The ED, however, denied these allegations, maintaining that the searches were conducted strictly in accordance with the law.
During the hearing before the single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the TMC, accused the ED of intimidation and overreach. “The ED is bullying. They have stormed. They have searched,” she submitted. ED counsel S.V. Raju countered the claims, remarking that there was “no need for drama.”
With both petitions dismissed by the High Court, the matter is now poised for further legal scrutiny at the apex court, where the Enforcement Directorate’s plea will be taken up next.
(This story is published from a syndicated feed)
