ED raids on I-PAC | Supreme Court to hear probe agency's plea over Mamata's 'interference' on January 15

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Thursday a plea by the ED seeking a CBI investigation against West Bengal Chief Minister and senior police officials of the state for allegedly interfering in a money laundering probe and "illegally" stopping search operations at a political consultancy firm in Kolkata.

According to the Supreme Court's cause list, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M Pancholi would take up the matter on January 15, 2026.

The West Bengal government has also filed a caveat in the top court, seeking that no order should be passed without hearing it in connection with the ED raids against political-consultancy firm I-PAC last week.

In its plea, the central anti money laundering agency, contended, "the Chief Minister of West Bengal has made a pattern to take law into her hands and misuse the State police whenever any crime is investigated which is not of her likings or which has the potential of some incriminating material against her, her ministers, her party workers or few officials working in cahoots is likely to be found.”

Claiming that the matter disclosed a shocking state of affairs, the agency said, it was forced to approach the apex court in view of extraordinary and unusual circumstances.

The Enforcement Directorate stated, the situation in West Bengal was serious and that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with senior police officials, including the DGP and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, were involved in cognisable offences that require registration of an FIR, as mandated by Lalita Kumari Vs Govt of UP (2014) judgement of the Supreme Court.

The ED sought a CBI probe against the CM, DGP, and the Kolkata police commissioner, claiming that they have obstructed a lawful money laundering probe, forcibly snatching digital devices and documents, and wrongfully confining ED officers during search operations at the political consultancy firm I-PAC.