Calcutta HC disposes TMC's plea after ED denies any seizure during I-PAC raid

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday (January 14) disposed the plea by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) alleging that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has seized its confidential party documents from the office of the I-PAC and Prateek Jain on January 8 after the ED submitted that it has not seized anything during the raid alleging that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had taken away all the files and devices.

‘Nothing remains to be dealt with’

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju made the submission before Justice Suvra Ghosh, who also pointed out that the panchnama showed that no seizure was made from the offices of I-PAC or its director, Prateeek Jain.

Also Read: ED moves SC seeking FIR against Mamata Banerjee, flags obstruction in I-PAC probe

"In view of such submissions, nothing remains to be dealt with, and the application is disposed of," stated the bench disposing of TMC’s petition, reported Live Law.

HC adjourns ED’s petition

The court also adjourned ED’s petition accusing the Chief Minister of obstructing its investigation after Raju submitted that the Central agency has also filed a similar petition before the Supreme Court.

Also Read: I-PAC case: ED moves SC against Bengal govt, seeks CBI probe

At the beginning of the hearing, Raju submitted that it be adjourned as a similar petition is pending before the Supreme Court.

"We have filed two matters before the SC wherein we have made same prayers...let the matter be adjourned. The SC will hear it. Let it be adjourned to a short date,” said Raju.

TMC counsel’s argument

Opposing the submission, senior advocate Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the TMC, argued that the party’s petition must be heard, which Raju countered, saying that both matters are "inter-mingled."

"We don't know what the ED has filed before the Supreme Court. We (TMC) want our political data to be safeguarded. In Puttaswamy, the right of privacy was protected. We are not before the SC on caveat. We request that our data be protected and not used against us,” said Guruswamy.

‘Record seized by Mamata’

"If the election process of 2026 has been impacted, then the ECI must be made a party. The petitioner had not received any intimation from the respondent over the seizure of any documents or data,” responded the Centre’s counsel.

Also Read: After I-PAC raids, Mamata accuses Amit Shah of taking coal-scam money

Raju argued that TMC’s petition is regarding the protection of adding that since Banerjee took away all the documents, the prayers cannot be granted till she is made a party to the case.

"The prayer is for protection of data. The record was seized by Mamata Banerjee. Unless she is made a party, these prayers can't be granted, as no record has been seized by ED, but all record has been seized by Mamata Banerjee and her cohorts,” he added.