Grossly distorted: ED on Mamata’s I-PAC raids claims

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has refuted West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s claim that she merely retrieved her party's confidential data from the -PAC office on January8 with the consent of officers of the federal agency , alleging instead that she “forcibly” entered premises being actively searched in connection witha money laundering probe and removed incriminating materials with the assistance of senior state police officials.

- Utkarsh Anand

In a common affidavit filed before the Supreme Court, ED and its officers contended that Banerjee, accompanied by her Z+ security detail, the state director general of Police, the Kolkata police commissioner and “hundreds” of police personnel, created an atmosphere of coercion and intimidation during the search conducted under the Prevention of ‘Money-Laundering Act (PMLA).

The matter came up before a bench led by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra but was adjourned to March 10.

ED asserted that Banerjee “admittedly entered” premises where an authorised search was underway last month and took possession of documents and digital devices. While she has stated in her counter affidavit that ED officials permitted her to retrieve party-related data, the agency said “nothing can be farther than the truth”.