ED vs. Mamata: Showdown Over I-PAC Raids

New Delhi, january 12, 2026: In a major legal and political escalation, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “wrongful restriction” and “obstruction of justice” during recent raids on the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC).

The confrontation, which unfolded in Kolkata last week, has transformed a money-laundering investigation into a full-blown constitutional standoff between the Centre and the State.

The Showdown at I-PAC

The drama began on Thursday, January 8, 2026, when ED officials launched coordinated searches at the I-PAC office and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain. The agency claims these raids are linked to an ongoing coal smuggling scam, alleging that nearly ₹10 crore in “proceeds of crime” were routed to the political consultancy via hawala channels.

In an unprecedented move, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally arrived at the raid sites. Visuals of the CM walking out of the premises with a “green file” and electronic devices dominated national headlines. The ED alleges that Banerjee, supported by local police, “forcibly removed” key evidence, effectively halting the federal agency from performing its statutory duties.

ED’s Legal Offensive

Frustrated by what it calls “state-sponsored obstruction,” the ED moved the Supreme Court under Article 32, seeking a transfer of the probe to an independent agency like the CBI. In its petition, the ED slammed the West Bengal government for:

• Wrongful Restriction: Claiming officers were physically prevented from seizing materials.
• Tampering with Evidence: Accusing the CM of taking away hard disks and documents.
• Intimidation: Alleging that the presence of senior state officials and police created a hostile environment for the investigators.

The agency argued that the “right to conduct a fair and independent investigation” has been severely curtailed by the state machinery.

Mamata’s Counter-Charge: “Strategy Theft”

The Chief Minister has remained defiant, leading a 6-km protest rally in Kolkata. She justified her intervention by claiming the ED was not looking for coal scam links, but was instead trying to “steal” the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) election strategy ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.

“Is it the duty of the ED to collect the party’s candidate list and hard disks? They are using agencies to loot our data and our strategy,” Banerjee told supporters.

In a retaliatory move, the Kolkata Police have registered FIRs against unknown ED and CRPF personnel for criminal trespass and theft, following complaints filed by I-PAC and the CM herself.

What’s Next?

The legal battle is now moving on two fronts:

1. Supreme Court: The ED is expected to mention the matter urgently before the Chief Justice of India to prevent further “destruction of evidence.”
2. Calcutta High Court: Both the TMC and the ED have filed cross-petitions, with hearings scheduled to resume on January 14, 2026.

As the 2026 elections approach, this clash highlights the deepening rift in India’s federal structure, where criminal investigations and political campaigns have become inextricably linked.