<p>New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe into alleged interference and obstructions by the West Bengal government during its raids on January 8, 2026 at Kolkata's political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) offices and on its director Pratik Jain's residence on charges of money laundering in connection with multi-crore coal scam.</p> <p>The West Bengal government, for its part, also filed a caveat, seeking a hearing before any order is passed by the apex court.</p> <p>The ED, the central agency, alleged West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with the State police obstructed its search operations and went away with physical and electronic evidence, impeding in discharge of its statutory functions.</p> .ED is here to steal TMC election strategy, says Mamata Banerjee | ED seeks CBI probe against CM.<p>According to the agency, the raids were part of a probe into a 2020 case registered by the CBI against a coal smuggling syndicate accused of illegally excavating coal from Eastern Coalfields' leasehold areas in and around Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district.</p> <p>It alleged, a hawala operator linked to the coal smuggling racket facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the registered company of I-PAC.</p> <p>"I-PAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money," the agency alleged.</p> <p>It maintained the proceedings on Thursday were being conducted peacefully and professionally until the Chief Minister’s arrival.</p> <p>The ED alleged repeated obstruction and non-cooperation by the state administration and sought directions for an independent inquiry by the CBI, as a neutral central agency is necessary in view of the alleged interference by the state executive.</p> <p>The CM, however, slammed the agency for conducting the search at the firm, assigned the task of managing the IT cell of the TMC.</p> <p>On Friday, the ED as well as the West Bengal government has approached the Calcutta High Court, which fixed the matter for consideration on January 14, 2026, in view of an unconducive atmosphere inside the courtroom. The agency alleged the CM and the state police obstructed in discharge of public duty in flagrant violation of law,</p>
<p>New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Supreme Court, seeking a CBI probe into alleged interference and obstructions by the West Bengal government during its raids on January 8, 2026 at Kolkata's political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) offices and on its director Pratik Jain's residence on charges of money laundering in connection with multi-crore coal scam.</p> <p>The West Bengal government, for its part, also filed a caveat, seeking a hearing before any order is passed by the apex court.</p> <p>The ED, the central agency, alleged West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee along with the State police obstructed its search operations and went away with physical and electronic evidence, impeding in discharge of its statutory functions.</p> .ED is here to steal TMC election strategy, says Mamata Banerjee | ED seeks CBI probe against CM.<p>According to the agency, the raids were part of a probe into a 2020 case registered by the CBI against a coal smuggling syndicate accused of illegally excavating coal from Eastern Coalfields' leasehold areas in and around Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district.</p> <p>It alleged, a hawala operator linked to the coal smuggling racket facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the registered company of I-PAC.</p> <p>"I-PAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money," the agency alleged.</p> <p>It maintained the proceedings on Thursday were being conducted peacefully and professionally until the Chief Minister’s arrival.</p> <p>The ED alleged repeated obstruction and non-cooperation by the state administration and sought directions for an independent inquiry by the CBI, as a neutral central agency is necessary in view of the alleged interference by the state executive.</p> <p>The CM, however, slammed the agency for conducting the search at the firm, assigned the task of managing the IT cell of the TMC.</p> <p>On Friday, the ED as well as the West Bengal government has approached the Calcutta High Court, which fixed the matter for consideration on January 14, 2026, in view of an unconducive atmosphere inside the courtroom. The agency alleged the CM and the state police obstructed in discharge of public duty in flagrant violation of law,</p>
