Overview
- The court granted interim relief to the Enforcement Directorate by pausing FIRs lodged against its officials and directing preservation of all CCTV footage from the January 8 searches, with the matter listed next for February 3.
- The West Bengal government, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and top police officials were asked to respond to ED’s petition within two weeks after the judges called the allegations very serious.
- The ED alleged the chief minister entered I-PAC premises during the search, removed documents and devices, and even snatched an official’s phone, and it sought a CBI inquiry and disciplinary action against state officers.
- Counsel for Banerjee and the state denied obstruction, questioned the timing of the raids ahead of polls, challenged the petition’s maintainability, and pointed to ED’s statement in the Calcutta High Court that nothing was seized.
- The Calcutta High Court disposed of the TMC’s data-protection plea after recording ED’s claim of no seizure and earlier restricted courtroom access and live-streamed proceedings following chaos during initial hearings.