Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jan 16: In an unusual move, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has approached the Supreme Court seeking to implead the Union Home Ministry, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and the West Bengal government as parties in its petition, alleging interference and obstruction by the state administration, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its probe linked to an alleged coal scam.

In its appeal, the ED sought the “impleadment of proposed respondents 7 to 9”, warning that failure to do so would cause the agency “irreparable loss and injury”. The proposed respondents include the DoPT and the Union Home Ministry, through their respective secretaries, and the state of West Bengal through its chief secretary.

The move assumes significance as the ED is examining reports claiming that West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty was accompanying Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee when she visited the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC during the agency’s raid.

The ED has sought directions for initiating departmental inquiries and major penalty proceedings against senior police officials, including West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma and South Kolkata Deputy Commissioner of Police Priyabrata Roy. The agency has also sought their suspension, alleging they were involved in disrupting ED searches on January 8.

According to the ED, the proposed respondents are necessary parties to enable action against the allegedly erring officers who were part of the disruption during the raids conducted at I-PAC’s Salt Lake office and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata.

Earlier, the Supreme Court termed the alleged obstruction by the chief minister as “very serious” and agreed to examine whether a state’s law enforcement agencies can interfere with a central agency’s investigation into serious offences. The court stayed FIRs registered in West Bengal against ED officials and directed the state police to preserve CCTV footage of the raids.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi issued notices to Chief Minister Banerjee, the West Bengal government, the DGP and senior police officers on the ED’s plea seeking a CBI probe into the alleged obstruction.

The ED has claimed that during the January 8 raids, the chief minister entered the premises and removed “key” evidence related to the probe. Mamata Banerjee has accused the central agency of overreach, while the Trinamool Congress has denied allegations of obstructing the investigation. The state police, meanwhile, have registered an FIR against ED officials.