The petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at Calcutta High Court against the West Bengal government mentions Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee forcefully taking away digital devices and documents during Thursday’s raids at the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office and residence of Director Pratik Jain.
“State Police of West Bengal in collusion with Chief Minister of the State of West Bengal in flagrant and blatant disregard to law has failed to discharge its public duty mandated under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and has obstructed the Petitioner Officers in discharging their official duties mandated under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002," the petition stated.
The petition goes on to mention sequence of events in the coal smuggling scam and what led to ED raids being conducted on January 8. “Concrete material found during the investigation revealed that at least Rs 20 crore worth of proceeds of crime was transferred to IPAC through hawala channels.”
On the day raids were conducted, the petition goes on to state that Deputy Commissioner of Police, South, reached the residence of Pratik Jain around 11.15am on basis of a house trespass complaint received after which Commissioner of Police Manoj Verma arrived thereafter. “As the Police officers were being briefed about the search proceedings under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at around 12.05 pm Ms Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, entered the premises despite making a categorical request for not interfering with the ongoing search proceedings under PMLA.” The CM left the premises around 12.15 pm, the ED states. The agency conducted raids at a total of 10 premises in connection with the coal smuggling scam, including two belonging to I-PAC and its chief.
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While mentioning that their officers were obstructed and not allowed to perform their duties, the ED says, "The petitioner is also aware that several First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered maliciously targeting Directorate of Enforcement officers for carrying out their official functions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and to intimidate them criminally."
The writ petition, which was to be heard on Friday by the single bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh has been deferred to January 14 because of the chaos that ensued due to overcrowding inside the courtroom.