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The SC stayed all criminal proceedings and probes initiated by the Kolkata Police against ED officials following their raid on the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC
The Supreme Court has directed the West Bengal government to file its reply within two weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for February 3. (File image/AFP)
The Supreme Court intervened decisively on Thursday in the escalating institutional standoff between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the West Bengal government. A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi stayed all criminal proceedings and investigations initiated by the Kolkata Police against ED officials following their raid on the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC. In a stinging observation, the court warned that the alleged obstruction of a central agency by state machinery represents a “very serious issue” that could lead to a “situation of lawlessness” if left unaddressed.
TMC: ‘An Assault on Cooperative Federalism’
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has framed the ED’s actions as a politically motivated attempt to “steal” internal election strategy ahead of the assembly polls. Senior advocate and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee argued that the Supreme Court’s stay is only an interim measure and pointed to the court’s observation regarding the timing of the raids.
Election Interference: Banerjee highlighted that the court acknowledged that interference by the ED in a political party’s affairs just before an election is an “important issue” to be decided.
Federal Balance: He asserted that whenever a central agency targets a non-BJP state before an election, it damages the fabric of the country. “Maintaining cooperative federalism is not the duty of just the state; it is also the duty of the central government,” he remarked, suggesting that the ED is being used as a tactical tool to intimidate the ruling party in Bengal.
BJP: ‘End of Mobocracy in Bengal’
Conversely, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailed the Supreme Court’s intervention as a “stunning indictment” of the Mamata Banerjee administration. Amit Malviya, BJP’s National IT Department Head, characterised the Chief Minister’s actions as an abuse of power intended to shield those accused of grave economic offences.
Protecting Corruption: Malviya stated that the court’s warning against the “obstruction of central agencies” proves that the state government was effectively protecting individuals linked to coal smuggling.
Constitutional Crisis: BJP leaders argued that the CM’s presence at the raid site was an attempt to replace “democracy with mobocracy”. They pointed to the Supreme Court’s direction to preserve all CCTV footage and the notices issued for the potential suspension of top Bengal police officials as proof of the state’s complicity in disrupting the rule of law.
The legal battle stems from a series of raids conducted on January 8 at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, as part of a multi-crore investigation into coal smuggling and money laundering. The ED has made the explosive allegation that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally entered the raid sites and forcibly removed “key” evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. Following the confrontation, the West Bengal Police registered multiple FIRs against the ED officers, accusing them of theft and procedural violations—proceedings that have now been halted by the apex court.
The Supreme Court has directed the West Bengal government to file its reply within two weeks, with the next hearing scheduled for February 3. Until then, the court has ordered that all digital evidence and CCTV footage from the raid sites be preserved to prevent further tampering.
January 15, 2026, 17:17 IST
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