I-PAC Raids: Supreme Court Says 'Very Much Disturbed' by West Bengal-ED Spat |
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New Delhi: Supreme Court on Thursday (January 15) stayed the West Bengal Police from taking action against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers in a matter arising from a recent spat between the state government and the central investigative agency. The court said it is “very much disturbed” by a recent situation that arose in the Calcutta high court during a hearing related to the same face-off between the ED and the state government.
The court noted that it is a “serious issue” and that it intends to issue notice in the matter, the Hindustan Times reported.
The state police filed FIRs against the ED officers last week, after chief minister Mamata Banerjee interrupted its raid on the Kolkata premises of political consultancy I-PAC on January 8. In response, the ED approached the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the constitution. The Article allows citizens to approach the top court to enforce or restore certain fundamental rights.
A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul Pancholi issued notices to the state government on the ED plea, LiveLaw reported Thursday. It said the state government can respond to the application filed by the ED in two weeks, declining its request for additional time.
“Normally, your lordships don’t stay investigation. No coercive steps direction is another option,” Senior Advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing the state police, said during the hearing.
“This is mobocracy,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said in court,