The hearing related to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the I-PAC office commenced in the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. During the proceedings, the ED’s counsel submitted that a petition on the same issue is pending before the Supreme Court and may be taken up soon, requesting that the High Court defer the hearing. The West Bengal government’s counsel opposed the request.
TMC Raises Privacy Concerns
Arguing for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the party’s lawyer said the TMC was not a party to the case before the Supreme Court and stressed concerns over privacy following the raid.
“We are not a party before the Supreme Court. The raids took place. Our privacy must be maintained. We live in a constitutional democracy. We want our political data to be protected. We have a right to privacy. Our only demand is that our political data be kept secure, not released to the media or used for political purposes,” the lawyer said.
ED: Raid Unrelated To Trinamool Congress
The ED’s counsel countered the allegations, stating that no records were seized during the raid and that the petition itself was filed by a “stranger.”
“No records were seized by the investigating agency. This petition was filed by a stranger. Please examine who the petitioner is. How was he affected, as he was not present at the time of the raid. This investigation has nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress, and the person whose home and office were raided has not personally appeared before the court,” the ED lawyer said.
ED Alleges Documents Taken By Chief Minister
The ED further claimed that the documents in question were not seized by the agency but were taken by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“We haven't seized any documents; instead, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has taken the documents. She has illegally taken possession of the records and committed a crime. Unless she is made a party on behalf of the TMC, the petition is not maintainable,” the ED’s counsel argued.
TMC Responds To ED’s Claims
Responding to the ED’s submissions, the TMC lawyer said the court should take note of the ED’s own statement that no documents were seized. He added that the matter was directly linked to elections and that the party’s intention was to ensure a fair electoral process. The ED reiterated that no documents were seized and maintained that Mamata Banerjee had taken the files.
Court Disposes Of TMC Petition
Accepting the submissions made on behalf of the Trinamool Congress, the court recorded in its order that the Enforcement Directorate, based on its panchnama, had stated that no documents were seized during the raid. Since the TMC’s petition was based on concerns that the ED might use seized data for political purposes, the court held that the petition had become meaningless and disposed of it.
Key Takeaway From The Hearing
The major development from the hearing was the ED’s categorical statement before the court that it did not seize any documents during the raid and that the documents were taken away by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.