New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday (January 10) moved the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court deferred hearing in the I-PAC raids case against Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal Government. The federal agency filed an Article 32 petition before the Supreme Court.
According to reports, the ED alleged in the petition that its investigation against I-PAC was obstructed by the state government. The probe agency also sought a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government also filed a caveat in the top court seeking that no order should be passed without hearing its arguments.
The ED on Thursday conducted searches on the premises of I-PAC and its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata as part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam.
According to the agency, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the raid sites and took away "key" evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices.
The West Bengal CM accused the central agency of overreach and alleged political vendetta.
Banerjee on Friday hit the streets protesting against the ED raids at I-PAC head Prateek Jain’s residence and office.
Addressing the media after walking from Jadavpur 8 B bus stand to Hazra more, Mamata said that she did nothing wrong.
“I did nothing wrong on Thursday. I had got the news and rang Prateek. He didn’t take the call so I visited his residence and took away my party’s documents and the central agency was planning to steal them. My party is my everything. If cannot save my party, how can I fight for the common people. I need a platform,” said Banerjee.
“I have every document saved in pen drives. I haven’t made anything public as I love my country. If I make them public, it will create huge chaos across the world,” the West Bengal Chief Minister further stated
