Agency asked to mention case today, ED and I-PAC fight moves to Calcutta High Court
Telegraph | 9 January 2026
The Enforcement Directorate and I-PAC both approached Calcutta High Court on Thursday.
The ED alleged that the state government, led by the chief minister, was hampering an ongoing investigation by the agency.
I-PAC accused the central agency of exceeding its mandate and targeting one political party at the behest of another.
Appearing for the ED, counsel Dhiraj Trivedi moved the court of Justice Subhra Ghosh, alleging that central government officers were being prevented from carrying out a probe into a criminal case.
“The officers went to raid an office of an establishment in connection with a coal smuggling case. It has been alleged that some files were taken away from the spot by the chief minister herself,” Trivedi said, seeking immediate intervention of the court.
He argued that an investigation by an independent central agency could not be stalled by invoking constitutional power.
“The state police are hyperactive on the issue. They helped the chief minister take away the files,” Trivedi alleged.
After hearing the lawyer, Justice Ghosh asked him: “What do you want? Do you want to mention the matter seeking leave for moving the case?”
When Trivedi replied in the affirmative, the judge said: “Then you will have to wait till tomorrow... This is not the proper time for mentioning.”
Trivedi responded that the incident was “very recent”.
Justice Ghosh then said: “Mention the matter tomorrow (Friday). Come with a proper application. I will see.”
Usually, cases are mentioned shortly after a judge takes the bench. However, Trivedi sought to mention the matter around 3pm, well after Justice Ghosh had resumed proceedings following the recess.
Later in the day, around 4.30pm, when Justice Ghosh was about to rise, advocate Sabyasachi Banerjee, appearing for I-PAC, attempted to raise the issue from his side.
Banerjee alleged that the ED had “violated norms” by raiding the office of I-PAC, which has been working with the Trinamool Congress. “This raid is politically motivated. It is aimed at targeting one party to serve another,” he said.
Justice Ghosh declined to hear Banerjee on Thursday.
Exterior view of the Godrej Waterside Infinity building in Kolkata, where the IPAC office is situated, as the Enforcement Directorate conducts a raid on Thursday, January 8, 2025
Exterior view of the Godrej Waterside Infinity building in Kolkata, where the IPAC office is situated, as the Enforcement Directorate conducts a raid on Thursday, January 8, 2025
Picture by Sanat Kr Sinha
If the ED’s plea is taken up on Friday, I-PAC is also likely to be given an opportunity to present its case, court sources said.
The political consultancy, whose face was once election strategist Prashant Kishor, began working with the Trinamool Congress after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Many believe the consultancy played a significant role in the party’s return to power in the 2021 Assembly elections with a sweeping majority, as well as its success in winning 29 of the state’s 42 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kishor is no longer associated with I-PAC and has since moved into full-time politics.