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Kolkata: A raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on i-PAC, a political consultancy firm working for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, has sparked a major controversy. i-PAC has now approached the Calcutta High Court against the ED and sought an immediate stay on the raids. The ED raided i-PAC’s office and the residence of its head, Prateek Jain, which infuriated Mamata ( Mamata’) Banerjee. i-PAC has also filed a police complaint against the ED, alleging that important documents were stolen during the raid.
Case Reaches High Court, ED Makes These Allegations
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, alleging that it is facing obstacles during raids in connection with the coal smuggling case. The matter was presented before a single bench of Justice Subhra Ghosh, who allowed it to be registered, and a hearing is likely to be held tomorrow.
According to the ED’s lawyer, they have sought an urgent hearing because the ED alleges that during the raid at the residence of i-PAC chief Prateek Jain, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at Jain’s residence and took away crucial evidence, including physical evidence and electronic devices.
i-PAC Makes This Plea
The controversy surrounding the ED raids at two locations linked to the political consultancy group i-PAC and the alleged seizure of documents from these sites by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has now reached the Calcutta High Court. The issue heated up the political atmosphere in Kolkata on a chilly Thursday afternoon, following which both the ED and i-PAC, Mamata’s election strategist, filed separate petitions.
In its petition, the ED has claimed that these raids are connected to the Bengal coal mining scam and has accused Mamata Banerjee of obstructing the official investigation. Meanwhile, i-PAC, founded by election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, has sought a stay on the ED raids, which have taken place just months before the Bengal elections.
