Big blow to TMC! Calcutta High Court dismisses case against ED in IPAC raid row

Kolkata/IBNS: In a setback for the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed the ruling party’s petition against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the probe agency’s IPAC raid, media reports said.

Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned the matter after the ED sought dismissal of the case, citing that a similar issue is already pending before the Supreme Court.

The order came after Additional Solicitor General of India S.V. Raju informed the court that the ED had seized no documents during the raids, countering claims made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The ASG, in fact, claimed in the court that the documents were taken away by the Chief Minister.

The court also adjourned a separate petition filed by the ED against Banerjee, who had secured a file, a laptop and a mobile phone from the residence of Jain at Loudon Street in Kolkata during the raids on January 8.

The ED requested for an adjournment of the petition where the ED accused Banerjee of obstructing the raids as the same plea is pending to be heard by the Supreme Court.

"On the ground that ED has filed an SLP before the Supreme Court, the matter is adjourned. Liberty to mention after the Supreme Court matter is disposed of," said the judge.

The previous hearing on the two petitions was cancelled over massive ruckus at the court.

The ED has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into Mamata Banerjee's  alleged resistance to the agency’s raid at the IPAC office and its head, Pratik Jain's residence.

IPAC, a political consultancy firm, works with a number of parties including the TMC, which is aiming for a fourth consecutive term in the upcoming assembly elections due to be held in April-May 2026.