ED moves Calcutta HC alleging interference during I-PAC searches

The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging interference during searches at the office and residence of I-PAC’s chief Pratik Jain.

The seaches were part of a money laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore rupee coal pilferage scam, official sources said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee dramatically turned up at the residence of Jain in south Kolkata and its office in Salt Lake amid an ongoing ED raid, alleging that the central agency was attempting to seize the TMC's internal documents, hard disks and sensitive data linked to its election strategy.

Apart from political consultancy for the TMC, I-PAC also looks after the IT and media cell of the party.

The ED’s counsel brought the matter before Justice Suvra Ghosh, seeking the court’s intervention to ensure the probe proceeds without hindrance.

The court granted permission to the agency to file a petition with regard to the prayer. It is likely to be taken up for hearing soon, a lawyer connected with the matter said.

The ED has alleged that the CM entered Jain's residence and took away key evidence including physical documents, electronic devices.

The agency further claimed that the chief minister, along with her aides and police personnel, also went to the I-PAC office, from where documents and electronic evidence were forcibly removed.