Supreme Court To Consider ED’s Complaint Over Alleged Interference By Mamata Banerjee

News Source: Times Of India

The Supreme Court is set to hear on Thursday a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of interfering with an ED operation linked to I-PAC associate Pratik Jain. The central agency has also alleged that evidence was tampered with and its officials were threatened during the incident.

The matter will be taken up by a bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul M Pancholi. The ED has moved the apex court under Article 32 of the Constitution, seeking judicial intervention in the case.

Ahead of the hearing, the West Bengal government has submitted a caveat in the Supreme Court to ensure that no interim or one-sided order is passed without hearing its side.

Apart from the State Government, the petition names Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata Police Commisioner Manoj Kumar Verma, and South Kolkata Deputy Commisioner Priyabatra Roy as respondents.

According to the ED, senior state officials were involved in multiple criminal acts during the incident. The agency has claimed that at least 17 offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita were committed, including theft, robbery, use of force to obstruct public servants, destruction of evidence, and criminal intimidation.

Calling the episode highly unusual, the ED stated that those responsible for enforcing the law were themselves allegedly involved in cognisable offences, warranting the registration of a criminal case.