Raids on I-PAC offices | ED seeks CBI probe against CM Mamata Banerjee, top police officials

New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has 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.

PTI has reviewed the writ petition of the federal probe agency, where it has also sought "immediate seizure, sealing, forensic preservation, and restoration to lawful custody of the ED" all digital devices, electronic records, storage media, and documents "illegally and forcibly" taken away from the search premises.

The high court is expected to hear the petition on Friday.

The search was mounted on Thursday at the Salt Lake office of I-PAC and its founder and one of the directors Pratik Gandhi as part of an alleged coal scam-linked money laundering case. Some other locations in the state and Delhi were also raided.

The ED had alleged in a press statement on Thursday that Banerjee entered Jain's residence on Loudon Road in Kolkata during the raids and "took away key evidence" and followed the same action at the I-PAC office.

The ED claimed in the petition that about Rs 20 crore of Hawala funds, generated from alleged coal pilferage in West Bengal, found its way to I-PAC. The organisation has been providing political consultancy to TMC and the state government since 2021.

"Concrete material found during investigation revealed that at least Rs 20 crore worth of proceeds of crime was transferred to IPAC through hawala channels.

"In continuation of the ongoing investigation and to trace out the proceeds of crime and utilisation thereof a search action was initiated against IPAC and certain other entities in relation with coal smuggling case," the petition said.

It said the chief minister entered the premises despite a "categorical request being made (by ED officials) for not interfering with the ongoing search proceedings under PMLA."

"However, violating all law and order, Ms. Mamta Banerjee with the aid of police personnel, forcibly took possession of all digital devices along with key incriminating documents from the possession of the authorised officer and left the premises at about 12:15 PM," it said.

The agency claimed the 'panch' witness were "effectively hijacked" by the respondents (state of West Bengal, CM, others) and made to write that the search was conducted in a peaceful manner and nothing was recovered rather than truthfully or correctly recording that the digital device and key incriminating documents were "forcibly taken possession by the Hon'ble Chief Minister with the aid of State Police."

The ED said its officials were "not allowed to perform their lawful duties and were obstructed to carry out their duties."

The agency also urged the high court to pass an interim order restraining any access, deletion, cloning, or tampering with the seized digital devices and electronic records.