Calcutta High Court dismisses TMC plea over ED raids on I-PAC office and Prateek Jain’s residence

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) seeking directions to safeguard alleged personal and political data that it claimed may have been seized during Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted earlier this month at the I-PAC office in Kolkata and the residence of its chief, Prateek Jain.

The petition was filed in the aftermath of the ED searches carried out on January 8, when the central agency raided the Salt Lake office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and Jain’s residence on Loudon Street in south Kolkata. The TMC had approached the High Court urging it to issue protective directions, arguing that sensitive political and personal information may have been accessed or seized during the searches.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the Enforcement Directorate, categorically informed the court that the agency had not seized any documents, devices, or data from either of the two locations. He maintained that no materials—personal, political, or otherwise—were taken into ED custody during the operation.

Taking note of this submission, Justice Suvra Ghosh observed that there was no further cause for adjudication. “Considering the statement made by the Enforcement Directorate that nothing was seized from the I-PAC office or from the residence of its chief, nothing survives for consideration in this petition,” the court noted while dismissing the TMC’s plea.

The court clarified that in light of the ED’s stand, the relief sought by the TMC no longer held relevance, and therefore the petition stood disposed of. The ruling effectively brings an end to the legal challenge mounted by the ruling party on the issue of alleged data seizure during the raids.

Separately, the High Court also deferred hearing on another plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to the I-PAC office during the January 8 raid. Banerjee had personally gone to the premises amid the ED action, triggering a political and legal controversy.

The ED has alleged that the Chief Minister’s presence during the raid could have obstructed official proceedings, while the TMC has consistently termed the raids as politically motivated. Further proceedings in the related matter are expected in the coming days.