The Calcutta High Court was forced to abruptly adjourn a crucial hearing on Friday concerning the searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the offices of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). Justice Suvra Ghosh postponed the matter to January 14, citing an "enormous disturbance and commotion" created by a large crowd in the courtroom that made proceedings impossible.
Courtroom Descends Into Chaos, Judge Forced to Adjourn
The hearing, scheduled for 2:30 PM in Courtroom No. 5, was marred by unprecedented scenes of disorder. A visibly agitated Justice Suvra Ghosh repeatedly appealed for order and asked individuals not connected to the case to leave. However, her pleas were ignored by the assembled lawyers and interns, leading to a 15-minute stretch of chaos.
"I cannot hear anything," an angry Justice Ghosh stated before leaving the bench. In her written order, she noted that the environment was "not conducive to commence/continue with the hearing." She emphasized that several requests to maintain decorum "fell on deaf ears." Despite efforts by High Court officials and a Kolkata Police personnel to clear a section, the excitement refused to die down.
Legal Battle Heats Up: ED vs Trinamool Congress
The courtroom drama unfolded a day after the ED conducted searches at I-PAC's office and the residence of its director. In a swift political response, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited both locations, accompanied by state DGP Manoj Kumar and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Varma.
Both sides filed formal petitions in the High Court on Friday, accusing each other of wrongdoing. The Enforcement Directorate urged the court to order a CBI probe against CM Mamata Banerjee, the DGP, and the Police Commissioner. The agency alleged "theft of digital devices and other evidence, wrongful restraint and confinement of central government officers" during the search operation.
Simultaneously, the Trinamool Congress moved Justice Ghosh's bench with a counter-allegation. The party accused the ED of "stealing" sensitive party data related to the upcoming 2026 assembly elections from I-PAC's offices.
Frustrated Moves and Future Hearing
The disorder in the courtroom severely hampered legal arguments. Counsels for both sides, Dhiraj Trivedi for the ED and Kalyan Banerjee for the Trinamool Congress, complained they could not even reach the bench to present their cases.
Following the adjournment, a frustrated ED counsel Dhiraj Trivedi immediately approached Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul seeking an urgent hearing. However, ACJ Paul declined the request, stating that the plea could not be entertained since Justice Ghosh had already fixed the next date and passed a formal order.
All eyes are now set on January 14, when the Calcutta High Court is expected to take up the politically charged petitions from both the central investigative agency and the ruling state party, hopefully in a more orderly environment.
