India’s Supreme Court Freezes Bengal’s Legal Offensive Against ED

In a significant judicial intervention, the Supreme Court of India has imposed an interim stay on four First Information Reports (FIRs) lodged by the West Bengal government against the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The stay, granted on Thursday, 15 January 2026, marks a pivotal moment in the escalating jurisdictional warfare between the central investigative agency and the administration of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A Flashpoint in Salt Lake

The legal conflict stems from a series of high-profile raids conducted by the ED on 8 January. These operations targeted the Salt Lake headquarters of I-PAC (the political consultancy firm founded by Prashant Kishor) and the residence of its current head, Pratik Jain. The ED alleges that proceeds from a massive coal-smuggling racket were laundered through "hawala" channels to fund political consultancy services.

Following the raids, the West Bengal police registered four criminal cases against ED officials, accusing them of procedural violations. The ED promptly escalated the matter to the apex court, seeking to quash the FIRs and requesting that any subsequent investigations against its officers be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) outside of West Bengal.

Allegations of Executive Interference

A Division Bench comprising Justice Prakash Chandra Mishra and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi ordered that both parties file affidavits detailing their positions before the next hearing on 3 February 2026.

The ED’s legal counsel presented a startling narrative to the court. The agency alleged that during the searches, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally intervened, arriving at the I-PAC offices accompanied by Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and Police Commissioner Manoj Verma. The ED claims that this high-level presence was used to intimidate federal officers and facilitate the removal of crucial documents, preventing the agency from compiling an official seizure list.

The Multi-Faceted Conflict:

The Coal Smuggling Context

The underlying coal-smuggling investigation has dogged the Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration for years, involving allegations of illegal mining and the siphoning of state resources. The recent focus on I-PAC suggests that federal investigators are now attempting to trace the "money trail" from illegal trade to political branding and electioneering.

In response to the ED's claims, the West Bengal government argued that the federal agency conducted the raids without prior notice and seized proprietary documents related to the TMC’s upcoming electoral strategies. The Chief Minister has categorised the ED's actions as an assault on the federal structure of the country, while the ED maintains that no person, regardless of constitutional office, is permitted to obstruct a federal search.

As the court prepares for the February hearing, the stay ensures that ED officials remain protected from state arrest, though the political friction between the Centre and the State remains at its highest point in years.