The Supreme Court on Thursday stepped into the high-stakes legal battle between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the West Bengal government, issuing a formal notice to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and senior state officials. The Bench, while expressing deep concern over the alleged "obstruction" of central agency raids, passed an interim order staying all FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against ED officials involved in the recent search operations at political consultancy firm I-PAC.
A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi was hearing a petition filed by the ED under Article 32 of the Constitution. The agency has alleged that the Chief Minister, along with top police brass, personally interfered in a lawful search, resulting in the "theft" of incriminating evidence and digital devices.
The Court’s directions on Thursday provided immediate, albeit temporary, relief to the central agency while setting a strict timeline for the state to explain its conduct:
- Notice to Respondents: The Court issued notices to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the State of West Bengal, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Varma. They have been directed to file their counter-affidavits within two weeks.
- Protection for ED Officers: All investigations and proceedings related to the FIRs filed by the state police against ED officials have been stayed until the next hearing.
- Evidence Preservation: In a crucial move to ensure the facts are not lost, the Court ordered the state to preserve all CCTV footage from the I-PAC offices and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, as well as footage from the surrounding Salt Lake and Loudon Street areas.
- Next Hearing: The Bench scheduled the matter for further consideration on February 3, 2026.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, opened the arguments by describing the events of January 8 as a breakdown of the constitutional machinery. He alleged that the Chief Minister "barged in" while a search under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was in progress.