Kolkata, 8/1 : In an unprecedented escalation of the conflict between the West Bengal government and central agencies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally interfered in an ongoing raid and “forcibly removed” key evidence linked to the multi-crore coal smuggling scam. The central agency has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking urgent intervention, claiming “complete breakdown of rule of law.”
The dramatic standoff unfolded on Thursday morning when ED officials launched simultaneous searches at ten locations in Kolkata and Delhi, including the residence of Pratik Jain, a director at the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), and the consultancy’s office in Salt Lake. I-PAC, the political strategy firm formerly led by Prashant Kishor, manages the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) election campaigns.
According to the ED’s petition to the High Court, the search operations were proceeding “peacefully and professionally” until the arrival of the Chief Minister. The agency alleges that Ms. Banerjee, accompanied by a heavy contingent of Kolkata Police and senior state officials, entered Mr. Jain’s residence and “snatched” physical documents and electronic devices that had been seized by the investigators. The ED claims the Chief Minister then proceeded to the I-PAC office in Salt Lake, where similar actions were allegedly repeated, resulting in the removal of digital evidence crucial to tracking the money trail of the coal scam.
“The search is evidence-based and not targeted at any political establishment. However, the interference by the constitutional head of the state has resulted in the obstruction of an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” the ED stated in a press release. The agency suspects that proceeds from the coal scam, allegedly masterminded by Anup Majhi alias Lala, were routed to I-PAC through hawala channels to fund political campaigns.
Chief Minister Banerjee has vehemently denied the allegations of obstruction, counter-accusing the ED of acting as a tool for the BJP-led central government to cripple her party ahead of the upcoming 2026 Assembly Elections. Speaking to reporters outside the I-PAC office, a visibly agitated Banerjee displayed a green file, claiming she had retrieved sensitive party data.
“Is it the duty of Amit Shah and the ED to steal my party’s candidate lists and election strategy documents?” Banerjee asked. “They are entering private residences without valid grounds just to harass our support staff. I will not allow this vendetta politics to continue.”
The confrontation has triggered a legal and administrative deadlock. While the ED has approached the Calcutta High Court, which has agreed to hear the matter on Friday, the Bidhannagar Police have registered an FIR against the ED officials involved in the raid. The charges include criminal intimidation and trespass, based on a complaint filed by I-PAC staff.
Legal experts describe the situation as a constitutional crisis, noting that a direct allegation of evidence tampering against a sitting Chief Minister is virtually unheard of in Indian political history. As the High Court prepares to hear the agency’s plea, the political temperature in Bengal has reached a boiling point.
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