Calcutta High Court to Hear ED and TMC Petitions Amidst Ongoing Investigations

Hearing Scheduled for ED and TMC Petitions

The Calcutta High Court is set to conduct a hearing on Wednesday regarding petitions filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) related to the recent raids on the residence and office of I-PAC director Pratik Jain. Only lawyers associated with these cases will be allowed entry into the courtroom during the proceedings.

Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul has mandated that the hearing will take place with controlled access, following a chaotic situation that arose on January 9 when Justice Suvra Ghosh was presiding over the cases.

On that day, Justice Ghosh repeatedly requested individuals unrelated to the petitions to exit the courtroom. When they failed to comply, she postponed the hearing to January 14 and left her seat.

An administrative notice has indicated that only senior lawyers, their assistants, and attorneys representing both parties will be present during the hearing. Furthermore, it has been stated that the court proceedings related to both petitions will be broadcast live.

The notice also mentioned that anyone wishing to participate in the court proceedings digitally, aside from the petitioners and respondents, may do so.

During the raids conducted on January 8, TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the locations targeted by the ED, alleging that the agency was attempting to seize sensitive party data ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

The central investigative agency has also accused Banerjee of removing documents from the scene. Both the TMC and the ED have filed petitions in the High Court concerning the raids.

The TMC has sought judicial intervention to prevent the bias, misuse, and dissemination of data seized during the operation, while the ED has requested that the investigation into the events of January 8 be handed over to the CBI, citing interference in their inquiry.