• Source:JND

ED vs Mamata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed the Trinamool Congress’ (TMC) plea regarding recent raids on the political consultancy firm I-PAC’s offices and the residence of its Director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) stated that "nothing was seized" from the premises.

The plea had been filed following the ED’s search operations, which unfolded amid high-voltage political drama in West Bengal, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visiting I-PAC’s offices while the raid was underway in connection with the 2020 coal smuggling case.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju informed the bench that the agency had seized nothing and that it was the Chief Minister who had taken away files and devices.

A bench headed by Justice Ghosh noted that no seizure had been made from I-PAC’s offices or its Director on January 8.

“In view of such submissions, nothing remains to be dealt with, and the application is disposed of," the bench said, effectively dismissing the TMC’s petition.

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The TMC had argued, "Our petition is limited to the point that our personal political data be protected. It is inappropriate to bully a political party when it has filed a petition, believing that its data could be taken from its political consultant of six years."

The ED countered, stating that "nothing was seized" and urged the court to dispose of the plea. "Nothing has been seized. Whatever was taken was taken away by Mamata Banerjee," it added.

The agency further told the court, "The raid had nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress, and the person who was raided by the ED has not come before you."

"The search was conducted somewhere else, but another party is coming and saying that my data was with them. This is not how it works," the ED said.

Additionally, the ED requested an adjournment, noting that it had moved the Supreme Court on the matter. TMC counsel Menaka Guruswamy, meanwhile, stated that the party was solely seeking protection for its political data.

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Background: ED vs CM Mamata Banerjee

The ED, in its petition, has accused the West Bengal Police, allegedly acting in collusion with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, of obstructing its officials and failing to discharge their public duty in "flagrant and blatant disregard to the law" during an ongoing search operation in Kolkata carried out on January 8.

The raids were conducted at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, and Jain's residence on Loudon Street in Central Kolkata.

The agency alleged that the situation escalated after the Chief Minister on Jan 8 entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain, director of political consultancy firm I-PAC, during an ED search and took away what the agency described as "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.

( With Inputs from Agencies )


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