ED moves HC over Mamata’s ‘interference’ during I-PAC raids

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday (January 8) escalated the political standoff in West Bengal by approaching the Calcutta High Court, alleging obstruction during its raids at I-PAC offices and the residence of its chief, Pratik Jain, who is also the head of the Trinamool Congress IT cell.

The central agency, without naming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, claimed that attempts were made to interfere with the investigation, including “illegal misuse of power” by “a person holding a constitutional post”.

“A person holding a constitutional position has illegally misused power to seize files. In two locations, there was unauthorized entry through abuse of power. Our searches were conducted based on specific evidence,” the ED said.

ED takes on Mamata

The move marks a direct legal confrontation with the chief minister, who accused the agency of seizing sensitive election-related documents.

Also read: ED raids I-PAC's premises in Kolkata, Mamata alleges theft of TMC’s voter data

In its statement, the ED emphasized that the raids, conducted across West Bengal, Delhi, and eight other locations as part of a coal smuggling probe, were strictly evidence-based and not politically motivated.

I-PAC, a political consultancy firm, was founded by political strategist Prashant Kishor ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It worked with the TMC and the West Bengal government after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Mamata calls BJP a “gang of robbers”

Mamata, who dramatically turned up at the residence of Jain amid the ongoing ED raid on Thursday, alleged that the central agency was trying to steal her party’s internal documents, hard disks, and sensitive data linked to its election strategy ahead of the assembly polls.

Terming the BJP a “gang of robbers”, the TMC supremo described the raid as “politically motivated and unconstitutional”. After a brief stay at Jain’s home when the search was underway, Mamata was seen leaving with a green file, triggering widespread political speculation.

Also read: What is I-PAC and how is it connected with Mamata’s TMC?

DGP Rajeev Kumar accompanied her, and security was tightened as documents were transferred from the I-PAC office to the chief minister’s vehicle. Paramilitary forces and Kolkata Police were deployed at both sites.

TMC chief blames Shah

Mamata told reporters that the file contained confidential party material, including candidate lists and campaign strategy documents, which had no link to any financial probe.

“They have stolen our entire election strategy. All our papers and information have been looted. They (BJP) do not have the courage to fight politically, so they have come down to looting,” she alleged.

“It is most unfortunate that the ED came to collect candidate lists, party strategy and plans, and confidential documents,” she told reporters, alleging Union Home Minister Amit Shah was behind the action.