Mamata abused power in blocking I-PAC raids: ED tells SC
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged “gross abuse of power” by the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee and the state machinery by “illegally barging” into raids at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam.
The agency rejected the West Bengal Government’s submission that Banerjee and the police had intervened to prevent “armed persons impersonating officials of Central agencies” from conducting an unauthorised search.
The ED said its officials had duly displayed their ID cards during the January 8 raid and search authorisation to the police officers.
“The bare perusal of the facts would reveal gross abuse of power by the State machinery of the State of West Bengal. Senior officials of the State Police have colluded and obstructed the discharge of functions by officials of the ED under the PMLA, in the private interests of Mamta Banerjee, the Chief Minister of the State of West Bengal,” the ED submitted in its rejoinder (reply) in the top court.
Rejecting the State Government’s claim that the case relates to federal relations and cannot be entertained, the ED said it is seeking an FIR against the “blatant abuse of power” by state functionaries and commission of offences by them.
The agency claimed that the police escorted Banerjee into the premises where an active search was going on and forcibly retrieved incriminating material.
“Individuals took away documents collected and indexed by the ED officers. The backup process for the computer and email dump was also stopped midway. Ms. Banerjee, assisted by the State police officers, forcibly took away the computer installed in the premises.
“The State police, on the instructions of Banerjee, forcibly took away the mobile phones of the employees of M/s Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, present at the premises.
They took the laptop of the ED officer and the mobile phone of the officer and returned it after two hours.
The taking of the laptop and mobile phone and keeping in their possession for two hours amounts to theft,” the agency said.
The federal probe agency said the CM entered the IPAC premises with her Z-plus security in “complete disregard of the lawful proceedings that were already underway.”
The heavy presence of police personnel to the tune of hundreds itself demonstrates coercion by the State Police and interference with lawful search under the PMLA by the ED officers.
“The manner of entry constituted a clear show of force and numerical strength, during which documents and incriminating material were forcibly taken over and removed from the premises, despite repeated requests by ED officers to refrain from doing so,” the agency said. It also refuted Banerjee’s submission that the material taken by her only contained confidential and proprietary information of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
