Mamata Banerjee forcibly removed files: ED vs I-PAC reaches High Court
The controversy over ED raids at two locations linked to the political consultancy group I-PAC and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee taking away documents from the sites, has now reached the Calcutta High Court.
Both the ED and I-PAC, Mamata’s election strategist, have separately filed petitions as the issue sent political tempers soaring on a chilly afternoon in Kolkata on Thursday.
Even the Trinamool Congress has also moved a petition to the single-judge bench of Justice Surva Ghosh.
The party has claimed the action is illegal and outside the scope of the probe. It added the seized materials pertain solely to its election-related activities, including campaign strategy, internal assessments, research inputs, organisational coordination and electoral roll–related data for the West Bengal polls.
TMC argued that the documents have no connection to the offence being investigated by the ED or to any alleged proceeds of crime.
As such, the party contended that the seizure does not fall within the ambit of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
The party further alleged that the ED’s action was a pretext to unlawfully access and control its electoral roll management, campaign planning and political strategy, with the intent of disrupting a free and fair electoral process.
TMC has sought a court declaration terming the ED’s actions illegal and directions for the immediate return of all confidential party documents.
Earlier in the day, the ED filed a petition and claimed that the raids were linked to the Bengal coal mining scam case, accused Mamata of “obstructing” an official investigation.