ED moves Calcutta High Court over alleged obstruction: Seeks CBI probe against CM, topcops; police register FIRs against it

PTI, NEW DELHI, JAN 9, 2026: The Enforcement Directorate has approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI probe against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, senior police officials and others after facing obstruction during its raids in Kolkata against political consultancy firm I-PAC and its director.

News agency PTI has reviewed the writ petition of the federal probe agency, wherein it has claimed that these actions led to a “complete takeover” of its search operation by the “state machinery”. There was “direct” involvement of the highest political executive and abuse of police power, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged, and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.

It urged the High Court to “direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register FIR(s) and investigate the entire incident, including the role of the present respondents being the Chief Minister, police officials, and all persons acting in concert”.

The agency added that a probe by the CBI was essential as both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have consistently held that where the “high and mighty” in the state are involved in the commission of cognisable offences, investigation ought to be transferred to the CBI.

The ED also sought “immediate seizure, sealing, forensic preservation, and restoration to lawful custody of the ED” of 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 next week.

The federal probe agency had alleged in a press statement on Thursday that Mamata entered Jain’s residence on Loudon Street in Kolkata during the raids and “took away key evidence”, and followed the same action at the I-PAC office. It claimed the Chief Minister entered the premises despite a “categorical request being made (by ED officials) not to interfere with the ongoing search proceedings under PMLA”.

“However, violating all law and order, Mamata 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 around 12:15 PM,” it said.

Meanwhile, the TMC supremo on Friday lodged two police complaints against the ED in connection with the agency’s raids.

Based on the complaints, the Kolkata and Bidhannagar Police filed FIRs and initiated an investigation, an officer said. The complaints, coupled with the TMC’s petition in the Calcutta High Court against the ED, are believed to have taken the confrontation between the two sides a notch higher, after Kolkata witnessed dramatic scenes of the Chief Minister landing up at the search operation venues and allegedly removing “key documents” and electronic devices from the sites.