Bengal standoff: TMC goes to court seeking return of data, state files FIR against ED
The ED had searched 10 premises associated with I-PAC, four in Delhi and six in Kolkata, including the residence of its director Pratik Jain, in connection with a money laundering case linked to the coal smuggling scam.
A day after the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raids on political consultancy firm I-PAC sparked a political storm in West Bengal, the stand-off deepened on Friday as the Trinamool Congress (TMC) urged the Calcutta High Court to direct the agency to return “confidential and sensitive data” and documents it had seized. In a statement, I-PAC said the ED searches had raised “serious concerns” and set an “unsettling precedent”, but added it would continue to cooperate with the probe.
These developments came on a day West Bengal CM and TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee stepped up her attacks on the BJP, accusing senior party leaders of benefiting from proceeds of the coal scam the ED is probing, while the police filed two FIRs against the investigation agency and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), based on the CM’s complaints, in connection with the events the day before.
In its High Court plea, the TMC urged it to direct “the respondents to return of all articles including but not limited to the private, confidential and sensitive data, information, documents illegally seized in physical as well as electronic form belonging to the petitioner and or in relation to the operation/affairs/business of the petitioner illegally seized during the alleged search operation”. Chaos in the High Court saw the hearing into the petitions of the ED and the TMC postponed to January 14.
Earlier in the afternoon, Banerjee, who joined a 10-km TMC protest march in Kolkata, warned the BJP she could make public the evidence about its “involvement” in the coal scam, if needed.
“They (ED) are talking about coal scam money. Who takes it? Amit Shah, Union Home Minister, how does he take it? One ‘gaddar (traitor)’ sends him money. The money goes to him through BJP Bengal leaders,” Banerjee said after the march.
“You people (BJP) are lucky that I am in power and have yet to expose you in public through those pen drives (I have). If you anger me, I will make public all the content stored in the pen drives. I maintain courtesy to some extent. You should know there is a Laxman Rekha. If you cross that line, I will make them public. For the country’s sake, I kept quiet. Otherwise, the whole world will be shocked. But I am not doing so as I love my country. This is not my weakness,” said the CM.
The TMC hit the streets across the state in protest against the ED action, with her second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee addressing public meetings in Nadia district and the Matua headquarters of Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district. Party MPs in Delhi were detained by the police outside Shah’s office in the morning.
Story continues below this ad
Chaos in court
In the High Court, Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned till January 14 the hearing into the pleas of the ED and the TMC because of commotion in the courtroom. After this, the ED emailed Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul seeking an urgent hearing, but the request was turned down.
The ED, in its petition, urged the High Court to consider 12 points, including a CBI investigation into the actions of the CM and police officials on Thursday. The central agency has also asked the court to direct the TMC leader to immediately return all the documents and electronic records she took from the I-PAC office and I-PAC director Pratik Jain’s home.
Meanwhile, an FIR was registered at the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, which has jurisdiction over Sector 5 in Salt Lake, where the I-PAC office is located, and another was lodged at the Shakespeare Sarani police station in Kolkata in connection with the raid at Jain’s home.
On Thursday, the ED conducted searches at 10 locations linked to I-PAC, which is managing the TMC’s poll campaign. The raids were held in connection with an alleged coal smuggling and money laundering case, the ED said. Around 11.45 am, Banerjee arrived at Jain’s home in central Kolkata and came out of his apartment with a laptop and a green folder. She then rushed to I-PAC’s office about 12 km away and brought out several files, before sitting on a dharna for about four hours.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.
Experience
Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.
Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.
Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:
State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.
Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.
Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).
Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More
