New Delhi

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday told the Supreme Court that she visited the premises of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) on January 8 in her capacity as the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and not as the state’s chief minister.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing on her behalf, informed a bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi that Banerjee went to the I-PAC office after receiving information that certain unauthorised individuals had entered the office of Pratik Jain, who was handling the party’s election-related work.

“I-PAC looks after elections in West Bengal. The party entered into a formal contract with I-PAC in 2021,” Sibal submitted, adding that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was fully aware that sensitive political and electoral data of the party was stored at the premises.

Sibal argued that the ED’s timing in conducting the raid raised serious questions, particularly as elections were underway. He pointed out that the last statement in the coal smuggling case was recorded on February 24, 2024, and questioned the urgency of the raid nearly a year later.

“What were they doing all this while? Why this sudden urgency during elections? If such information is accessed, how will a political party fight elections?” he asked, asserting that Banerjee, as TMC chairperson, had every right to visit the premises.

He further questioned why the ED chose to enter a section of the office that contained sensitive party data and challenged the maintainability of the agency’s plea before the Supreme Court. Sibal argued that the matter should have been raised before the Calcutta High Court under its Article 226 jurisdiction, accusing the ED of initiating parallel proceedings.

“There is a consistent pattern where ED steps in under the guise of investigation just when elections are due,” Sibal submitted.

Rejecting allegations that Banerjee interfered with or obstructed the investigation, Sibal said claims that the chief minister took away electronic devices were “false” and contradicted by the ED’s own panchnama. “These allegations are made only to create prejudice,” he said.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the West Bengal government and state police officers, told the court that Banerjee is a Z-plus protectee, making it mandatory for the state’s Director General of Police, Rajeev Kumar, to accompany her during the visit.

The Supreme Court described the ED’s allegation of obstruction as “very serious” and said it would examine whether a state’s law enforcement machinery could interfere with a central agency’s investigation into serious offences.

The apex court stayed the FIR lodged in West Bengal against ED officials following the January 8 raids at the I-PAC office and Jain’s residence, and directed the state police to preserve all CCTV footage related to the searches.

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The ED has alleged that its officials faced obstruction during the raids conducted in Kolkata in connection with a coal smuggling case and claimed that Banerjee entered the premises and removed “key” evidence. The chief minister and the TMC have denied the charge, accusing the central agency of exceeding its authority, while the state police registered a case against ED officers over the incident.