Overview
- The court issued notices to Mamata Banerjee and top West Bengal officials, stayed FIRs against ED officers, and directed preservation of CCTV footage from the January 8 searches.
- The bench set the next hearing for February 3 after observing that unresolved questions on state interference could undermine the rule of law across states.
- The ED alleges the chief minister and senior police disrupted searches at I-PAC and at director Pratik Jain’s residence in a coal-pilferage probe, including removal of key evidence.
- Senior advocates for the state and Banerjee rejected the allegations, questioned the ED’s timing during election season, and cited the panchnama to dispute claims that devices were taken by the CM.
- The ED moved to implead the Union Home Ministry and DoPT, sought departmental inquiries and suspension of senior police officers including DGP Rajeev Kumar, and asked for a CBI probe into the alleged obstruction.