Supreme Court of India slams West Bengal over CM’s entry during ED raids: ‘Not a happy situation’

The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday came down hard on the West Bengal government in the I-PAC case, saying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s alleged intervention during ED raids was “not a happy situation”.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and NV Anjaria questioned what recourse exists if a chief minister interferes with the functioning of a central agency, warning that such situations cannot be left unaddressed. The court said it may consider framing standard operating procedures (SOPs) to deal with similar instances in the future.

Representing the state, senior advocate Shyam Divan argued that the Constitution already provides remedies, suggesting the Centre should pursue appropriate legal action instead of agencies directly invoking writ jurisdiction.

ED flags interference

The case stems from a plea by the Enforcement Directorate, which accused Banerjee and state officials of obstructing searches conducted on January 8 at the Kolkata office of I-PAC and the residence of its chief Prateek Jain. The raids were linked to a money laundering probe in an alleged coal scam.

Dramatic scenes unfolded that day as Banerjee visited both locations during the searches and left with documents and electronic devices. The ED termed the episode a “gross abuse of power”, while the chief minister alleged the कार्रवाई was politically motivated ahead of the state elections.

Court rejects delay plea

The bench also refused to adjourn the hearing after Bengal sought more time to respond to the ED’s filings. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta opposed the request, calling it a delay tactic. When Divan suggested the court could proceed without considering the ED’s rejoinder, the bench firmly rejected the idea.

“You cannot dictate to us. We will consider everything on record,” Justice Mishra said.