New Delhi, Feb 17 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to examine on Wednesday the petition lodged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which claims interference by the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the federal agency's recent search operations at the office of the political consulting firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain in Kolkata.

According to the cause list on the apex court's website, the case is scheduled for hearing on February 18 before a bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and K. V. Viswanathan.

The hearing was postponed last week at the request of senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who cited health issues. During the brief session, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the ED, informed the court of Sibal's inability to attend.

“I can't oppose on this basis. If it can be scheduled for February 18,” the Centre’s second-highest law officer stated.

Granting the request, the Justice Mishra-led Bench rescheduled the matter for further discussion on February 18. The ED is seeking directives from the Supreme Court to register FIRs against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state Director General of Police (DGP), and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, alleging obstruction during the federal agency’s simultaneous search operations.

In her counter-affidavit, Chief Minister Banerjee denies all allegations of interference and obstruction, asserting that her limited presence at the site was solely to retrieve sensitive and proprietary data belonging to her Trinamool Congress (AITC).

The affidavit states that Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence on Loudon Street and I-PAC’s office in Bidhannagar on January 8, 2026, after receiving information that critical political data from the Trinamool was being accessed during the searches.

She contends that the data was “vitally linked” to the AITC’s strategy for the upcoming Legislative Assembly election. The affidavit claims that upon her arrival, she “politely requested the officials of the Enforcement Directorate” to allow her to retrieve the Party’s data and the devices on which they were stored.

The affidavit further asserts that “the officers of the Enforcement Directorate present did not object” to her request and permitted her to take some of these devices and physical files.

After completing her request, the counter affidavit states that Banerjee left the premises to avoid inconveniencing the officials of the Enforcement Directorate, and adds that the ED’s own panchnamas record that the searches continued thereafter and were conducted “peacefully and in an orderly manner”.

Banerjee also argues that neither the Trinamool nor its officials are implicated in the alleged coal scam, and therefore, the ED cannot assert any claim over the party’s proprietary data.

The counter affidavit further accuses the ED of acting with mala fide intent, alleging that the searches occurred in the lead-up to the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and after a prolonged period of inactivity.

It questions the timing of the operations, suggesting they coincided with I-PAC holding “critical documents”, including a proposed list of candidates for the upcoming elections. The affidavit also claims that the ED violated statutory safeguards under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and failed to produce any audio or video recordings of the searches.

This, it argues, creates a “strong presumption” that the searches were clandestine and aimed at accessing confidential political data.

Previously, on January 15, the Supreme Court had stayed the FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police against ED officials concerning the searches and directed the preservation of CCTV footage and other digital storage devices containing recordings of the searched properties and surrounding areas.