Supreme Court Intervenes in ED–State Confrontation Over I-PAC Searches
Background of the Controversy The Supreme Court of India has taken cognisance of an escalating institutional confrontation between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC)-led West Bengal government , arising out of ED searches conducted on January 8 at premises linked to political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Kolkata and the residence of its director Pratik Jain . The searches were part of a money laundering investigation connected to alleged illegal coal mining and smuggling in West Bengal , involving suspected proceeds of crime exceeding ₹2,742 crore . Supreme Court Proceedings and Observations A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul M Pancholi admitted two petitions : One filed by the Enforcement Directorate , and Another by three ED officers , seeking a court-monitored CBI investigation into the alleged obstruction faced during the searches. The Court described the situation as “very serious...