Kolkata, Oct. 29 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on whether the CBI should investigate allegations that former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and senior police officers obstructed an Enforcement Directorate (ED) search at the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC.
A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and NV Anjaria concluded hearings on the ED's petition, which seeks an investigation into the alleged obstruction. The court reserved its order on the limited question of whether the probe should be handed over to the CBI or left to the newly-formed state government.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Banerjee, argued that judicial intervention was unnecessary as the present state government, controlled by a different political party, could independently decide whether to refer the matter to the CBI. He assured the bench that there would be no politically motivated investigation.
Justice Mishra recalled concerns raised during the previous hearing that the state government could face allegations of political bias. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, argued that a state-initiated referral could itself invite allegations of mala fide. He also expressed concern that senior police officers named as accused could influence the investigation.
Besides Banerjee, the petition names former state DGP Rajeev Kumar, former Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma and former South Kolkata deputy commissioner Priyabatra Roy.
The dispute stems from ED searches at I-PAC's Kolkata office in connection with a coal scam-linked money laundering probe. The agency alleges that Banerjee arrived with senior Trinamool Congress leaders, confronted its officials and removed files from the premises, thereby obstructing the search.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.