I-PAC raids: SC adjourns to Mar 18 ED's plea against 'interference' by Mamata Banerjee

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to March 18 the hearing on a plea moved by the ED alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and KV Viswanathan deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that a rejoinder will be filed during the day.

The top court on January 15 said the West Bengal chief minister's alleged "obstruction" in ED's probe is "very serious" and agreed to examine if a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with any central agency's probe into any serious offence as it stayed FIRs against the agency's officials who raided political consultancy I-PAC on January 8.

The top court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect the CCTV footage of the raids.

It had issued notices to Banerjee, the West Bengal government, DGP Rajeev Kumar and top cops on the ED's petitions seeking a CBI probe against them for allegedly obstructing raids at I-PAC premises.

The ED has also alleged that Banerjee entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices, from the premises of I-PAC and obstructed and interfered with the investigation in the case.

The ED has further claimed in its plea that the chief minister's presence at the search site and the alleged removal of documents had an intimidating effect on officers and seriously compromised the federal probe agency's ability to discharge its statutory functions independently.

The ED's plea in the apex court follows events from January 8, when the agency conducted searches on the premises of I-PAC and its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata as part of a money-laundering probe into the alleged multi-crore-rupee coal-pilferage scam.

During the search operation, Banerjee reached the I-PAC office along with senior TMC leaders, confronted the ED officials and allegedly took away documents from the premises. The chief minister has accused the central agency of overreach.

The West Bengal Police has also registered an FIR against ED officers.

The TMC has denied the ED's allegation of obstruction.

It has further alleged that the ED action against I-PAC, the election consultant of the party, was aimed at accessing confidential election-strategy material.

The party has maintained that I-PAC functions as its election strategist and that the ED's action was intended to disrupt its electoral preparations rather than pursuing any bona fide investigation in the case.

Assembly polls are due in West Bengal in a few months.