The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday disposed of a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleging that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had seized the party’s files and poll-related data during recent raids linked to I-PAC. Besides, the court adjourned the petition filed by the ED after the agency said that it has filed a similar petition in the Supreme Court. The top court will hear the probe agency’s plea in this matter on Thursday.
During the hearing, the ED categorically denied seizing any data belonging to the TMC and questioned how the agency could be asked to safeguard material that was never taken into its custody.
Bengal CM herself took away data, says ED
The federal probe agency further stated that if the matter was only about ensuring the safety of data, it would support such a request. However, it maintained that the data in question was not taken by the ED but was carried away by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself.
The High Court was hearing petitions filed by both the ED and the TMC in connection with the probe agency’s recent raids at the premises of I-PAC and the residence of its Director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata.
The ED also emphasised that the raid had nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress.
The TMC had sought the court’s protection for its poll-related data, alleging it had been seized by the ED.
About ED raids in Kolkata
The issue arose when CM Mamata Banerjee visited the home of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain and the office of the Trinamool Congress’s election strategist during Enforcement Directorate searches. She alleged that the agency was attempting to confiscate internal party papers, computer hard drives and sensitive digital material linked to the TMC’s election planning.
The Bharatiya Janata Party responded by criticising Banerjee’s move, arguing that turning a legal investigation into a political issue erodes public trust in constitutional institutions and weakens the rule of law. The BJP further stated that any effort to interfere with investigative agencies must be taken seriously, warning that such actions could harm the credibility of these institutions.
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