Kolkata: A war of words broke out in the Supreme Court of India on Wednesday as the West Bengal government reportedly accused the Centre of “weaponising” the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) against Opposition-ruled States, while the central agency countered that it was being “terrorised” by the Mamata Banerjee administration.
Senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, appearing for the state, argued that the ED must justify what he termed its “weaponisation”. Responding sharply, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju said: “It has not been weaponised, it has been terrorised.”
A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and K V Viswanathan was hearing a petition filed by the ED under Article 32 of the Constitution of India against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and certain state police officers.
The petition relates to a January 8 search conducted by the ED at the Kolkata office of I-PAC, a political consultancy firm associated with the Trinamool Congress, in connection with a coal scam-linked money laundering probe. The agency has alleged that the Chief Minister arrived at the premises during the search along with senior party leaders and that certain files were removed, allegedly impeding the investigation and intimidating officers.
On an earlier date, the court had issued notice on the ED’s plea and stayed further proceedings in three FIRs registered by the West Bengal police against ED officials. The Bench observed that the matter raised serious issues which required examination, failing which there could be a “situation of lawlessness” in the state. It also directed staying on the FIRs against ED officials and preservation of CCTV footage from the searched premises and nearby areas. The matter has now been posted to March 18 after Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the ED is likely to file its rejoinder. Meanwhile, the state has filed a counter-affidavit questioning the maintainability of the writ petition in view of similar proceedings pending before the Calcutta High Court.