I-PAC raids | Commotion in courtroom, Calcutta HC adjourns hearing on ED's plea seeking FIR against Mamata

Both ED and TMC had moved the high court, the former alleged Banerjee had obstructed raids while the party said the agency attempted to take sensitive election documents

The Calcutta High Court Friday adjourned hearing on the pleas filed by the Enforcement Directorate and Mamata Banerjee-led TMC over the central probe agency's raids on political consultancy firm I-PAC's offices in Kolkata.

Due to large scale commotion in the courtroom, the Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned the matter for the day. The hearing is likely to come up for January 14.

A subsequent official request from the agency before the high court’s Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, praying for an early hearing on Friday itself, was not entertained.

The Acting Chief Justice deemed it prudent to not interfere with the judicial order passed by Justice Ghosh.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI investigation into the role of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, senior police officials and others for allegedly obstructing its raids in Kolkata against political consultancy firm I-PAC and its director.

TMC, on its part alleged that the agency attempted to take sensitive election documents related to its strategy for the upcoming 2026 assembly polls.

The ED has made Banerjee a respondent in its petition, along with some officers of the state.

The TMC petition has been filed against the Union of India.

(With PTI inputs)