ED Moves Supreme Court Against West Bengal CM Over Alleged Obstruction in Coal Scam Probe

India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court with a writ petition against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her administration of obstructing an official investigation linked to the coal smuggling case. The agency claims that during a search operation at the I-PAC office and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, three ED officials were allegedly threatened and harassed.

ED’s Stand on the Incident

According to the ED, the petition has been filed to address what it calls unlawful interference with its officers during a search operation conducted in Kolkata. The agency stated that the plea has been filed directly against the West Bengal government and the Chief Minister. The case has been initiated by the three ED officers who were present in the state at the time of the operation.

Serious Allegations Against State Leadership

In its petition, the central investigating agency has made strong allegations against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other senior officials. The ED claims that the Chief Minister and the state’s Director General of Police actively hindered the search process. The agency has urged the Supreme Court to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register an FIR and conduct a probe against Mamata Banerjee, DGP Rajeev Kumar, and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma.

The ED’s demand relates to alleged obstruction during the January 8 search operation connected to the ₹2,742 crore coal smuggling scam, a case that continues to draw significant political and legal attention.