I-PAC Raids: SC Adjourns to Feb 10 ED's Plea Against 'Interference' by Mamata

PTI, NEW DELHI, FEB 3, 2026: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to February 10 the hearing on a plea moved by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director Pratik Jain in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and NV Anjaria deferred the matter after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED), submitted that the state government had filed affidavits in the matter and sought more time. The apex court on January 15 had remarked that the West Bengal Chief Minister's alleged "obstruction" in the ED's probe was "very serious" and agreed to examine whether a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with a central agency's investigation into any serious offence. The court had stayed FIRs filed against the ED officials who raided the political consultancy I-PAC on January 8.

The apex court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect the CCTV footage of the raids. It had issued notices to Mamata, the West Bengal government, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and top cops on the ED's petitions seeking a CBI probe against them for allegedly obstructing the raids at I-PAC premises.

The ED has also alleged that Banerjee entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices, from the premises of I-PAC and obstructed and interfered with the investigation into the case. The ED further claimed in its plea that the Chief Minister's presence at the search site and the alleged removal of documents had an intimidating effect on officers and seriously compromised the federal probe agency's ability to discharge its statutory functions independently.

The Central agency's plea in the apex court follows events from January 8, when the ED conducted searches on the premises of I-PAC and Pratik Jain in Kolkata as part of a money-laundering probe into the alleged multi-crore-rupee coal pilferage scam. During the search operation, Mamata reached the I-PAC office along with senior TMC leaders, confronted the ED officials, and allegedly took away documents from the premises. The Chief Minister has accused the central agency of overreach, and the West Bengal Police has also registered an FIR against ED officers.