SC stays FIRs, issues notice to Bengal CM

MAMATA VS ED

- FPJ News Service

The SC on Thursday issued notice to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar and other senior state police officers on a plea filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging obstruction of its search operations at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its co-founder in Kolkata.

A Bench of Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul M Pancholi said the petitions raised "very serious" issues concerning interference by state agencies in investigations conducted by central agencies. The Court stayed further proceedings in the FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against ED officials and directed the preservation of CCTV footage and other electronic recordings of the premises searched on January 8 and nearby areas, Live Law and Bar & Bench report. "We are of the prima facie opinion that the present petition has raised a serious issue relating to the investigation by the ED or other central agencies and its interference by State agencies," the Bench observed.

It said that for adherence to the rule of law and to allow each organ to function independently, the issues need examination so that "offenders are not allowed to be protected under the shield of the law enforcement agencies of a particular state."