The Calcutta High Court on Friday was forced to postpone a crucial hearing where the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The adjournment came as a direct result of massive commotion and disorder inside the courtroom, making proceedings impossible.
Courtroom Chaos Leads to Adjournment
According to sources, the presiding judge expressed severe displeasure at the situation, stating that nothing could be heard in the packed courtroom. Efforts to clear the room and restore order failed, with lawyers scheduled to argue the case unable to even approach the bench amidst the chaos. The hearing has now been rescheduled for January 14. This development occurred on the same day the Trinamool Congress (TMC) launched its own legal offensive against the central probe agency.
TMC Challenges ED Raids on I-PAC Office
The TMC moved the High Court against the ED's search operations conducted on January 8 at the Kolkata office of political consultancy I-PAC and the residence of its chief. The party is seeking the court's intervention to restrain the "misuse and dissemination" of documents seized during the raids. In its petition, the TMC alleged the ED action was an "arbitrary, mala fide, and colourable exercise of power."
The party claimed the seized materials contained highly sensitive and confidential political data intended for use in the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections. This data reportedly included campaign strategy, internal assessments, research inputs, and electoral roll management information.
The TMC argued that these materials have no connection to any scheduled offence or alleged proceeds of crime and fall outside the scope of an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The petition accused the ED of aiming to unlawfully access the party's campaign machinery to disrupt a free and fair electoral process.
Allegations of Constitutional Overreach and High Drama
The petition framed the seizures as a severe intrusion into the party's right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution and its right to participate in the democratic process under Article 19. It expressed apprehension about the misuse of the data, warning of irreversible damage to electoral integrity if the court did not act.
The raids themselves were marked by high drama, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee making a surprise appearance at both locations. She was seen leaving a residence with a green folder and electronic devices, accusing ED officials of overreach. In a separate incident, a security personnel was observed dumping files into the Chief Minister's official vehicle at the I-PAC office during the raid.
The ED issued a strong rebuttal, accusing Banerjee of obstructing a lawful investigation and alleging that she, along with state police, forcibly removed "key evidence" from the raid sites. The agency has also filed a petition in the High Court, alleging interference in its investigation. Both the ED's plea and the TMC's petition are expected to be heard together by the court. The ED maintains the raids were part of a probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam.
