Supreme Court on Thursday termed “very serious” the Enforcement Directorate’s allegation that it faced obstruction from the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during their raids at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal-pilferage scam.A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi said they intend to issue notice and examine the matter. “This is a very serious matter; we will issue a notice. We have to examine it,” it remarked orally.
The top court also said that it was very much disturbed by the commotion at the Calcutta High Court during its hearing in the ED raids case. The Calcutta High Court had adjourned till January 14 the hearing on petitions related to the ED’s search and seizure operations at sites linked to political consultancy firm I-PAC, citing unmanageable chaos inside the courtroom.
As the hearing commenced, the ED said the West Bengal government’s “interference and obstruction” during the probe agency’s raids reflects a very shocking pattern.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, told the bench that in the past also, whenever statutory authorities exercised statutory power, Banerjee barged in and interfered.
“It reflects a very shocking pattern,” Mehta said while contending that this will only encourage such acts, and the central forces will be demoralised.
“The states will feel they can barge in, commit theft, and then sit on a dharna. Let an example be set, officers who were explicitly present there should be suspended,” the solicitor general said.