New Delhi

The Enforcement Directorate told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the West Bengal government's "interference and obstruction", including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its probe and search operation at the I-PAC office and its chief's residence reflects a very shocking pattern.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, told a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi 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.

The ED's plea in the apex court follows events from January 8, when ED's officials faced obstructions during the probe agency's raids at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC in Salt Lake and the residence of its chief, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata in connection with a coal smuggling case.

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The probe agency has claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the premises and took away "key" evidence related to the probe.

The chief minister has accused the central agency of overreach, while her party, Trinamool Congress, has denied the ED's allegation of "obstructing" its probe. The state's police have registered an FIR against ED officers.