During an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the political consultancy firm I-PAC's office in Kolkata, dramatic developments unfolded with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's presence. Sources reveal a series of sensational claims amid a serious political and legal clash. According to ED insiders, the atmosphere became tense the moment Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the I-PAC office. She reportedly took possession of Prateek Jain's mobile phone onsite. At the same time, the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal was also present.
Sources allege that the DGP instructed the three ED officers present to report no findings in the punchnama, suggesting that the raid yielded nothing. Allegedly, the DGP warned that failure to comply would result in the arrest of ED officials. ED expressed that the situation was entirely against them, with just three ED officers faced by numerous policemen and officers assigned to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Z-category security, creating intense pressure.
Mamata Accuses ED of Document Theft
Mamata Banerjee accused the ED of stealing documents related to TMC. Reportedly, during the raid, the CM herself appeared on the scene and seized Prateek Jain's phone. The DGP of West Bengal was also present, directing the ED officers to not record any findings in the punchnama. The DGP allegedly told the ED officials that if any recovery was shown from the raid, they would face arrest. Independent witnesses were reportedly intimidated and harassed by Kolkata Police and the CM's staff. According to ED sources, there was an attempt to alter official records under duress throughout the operation.
Read Also: West Bengal to Face President's Rule? Discussion on Article 356 Intensifies Amid Mamata's 'Actions' Against ED
However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has outrightly rejected all these allegations. She claimed that the ED was attempting to confiscate Trinamool Congress's electoral strategies, internal data, hard drives, and party documents under the guise of a money laundering investigation, which had no relevance to the case. Mamata Banerjee declared the raid as politically motivated and unconstitutional, insisting that she was merely retrieving her party's documents that had no connection to the ED's investigation. Both TMC and ED have turned to the Calcutta High Court regarding this matter.
