Calcutta High Court Disposes TMC Plea On ED Raids, Agency Denies Seizing Poll-Related Data

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday disposed of a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC), in which the party claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had seized its files and election-related data during recent raids in Kolkata. The court closed the matter after hearing arguments from both sides.

At the same time, the High Court adjourned a separate petition filed by the ED after the agency informed the court that it has approached the Supreme Court with a similar plea. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the ED's petition on Thursday.

ED Denies Seizing TMC Data

During the hearing, the Enforcement Directorate clearly denied taking possession of any data belonging to the TMC. The agency told the court that it cannot be directed to protect or secure material that was never seized during the raids.

The ED also clarified that the searches carried out at the premises of political consultancy firm I-PAC and at the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, were not related to the Trinamool Congress. According to the agency, the investigation had no political connection.

Claim That Data Was Taken Away by CM

The ED further stated that if the issue was only about protecting sensitive data, it would have no objection. However, it claimed that the data in question was not taken by the agency. Instead, the ED alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself had taken the material away during her visit to the raided locations.

The High Court was hearing petitions from both the TMC and the ED related to these searches, which had triggered a political controversy in the state.

Political Reactions to the Raids

The issue gained attention after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the residence of I-PAC director Pratik Jain and the office of the TMC's election strategist during the ED raids.

She accused the agency of trying to seize internal party documents, computer hard drives and digital data linked to the party's election preparations.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Banerjee's actions, saying that turning a legal investigation into a political issue damages public trust in constitutional institutions.

The party warned that interference in the work of investigative agencies could weaken the rule of law.