NEW DELHI: The Calcutta high court on Wednesday disposed of a plea filed by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) seeking protection of its data following Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, last week. The decision came after the ED informed the court that it had “not seized anything” from either premises during the searches.The TMC had approached the high court after ED searches conducted on January 8, seeking judicial directions for the preservation of its personal and political data, which it feared could have been seized during the raids. The party maintained that I-PAC had served as its election consultant for six years and that its confidential data was at risk.Representing the ED, additional solicitor general SV Raju told the court that “nothing was seized” during the searches. Disposing of the TMC’s petition, Justice Suvra Ghosh observed that in view of the submissions made by the ED and the Union of India, “nothing further remains to be dealt with in the present petition.”During the hearing, the TMC argued, “Our petition is limited to the point that our personal political data be protected. It is inappropriate to bully a political party when it has filed a petition, believing that its data could be taken from its political consultant of six years.”The ED, however, sought disposal of the plea, reiterating, “Nothing has been seized. Whatever was taken was taken away by Mamata Banerjee.” The agency further told the court that the search operation had “nothing to do with Trinamool Congress,” adding, “The raid had nothing to do with the Trinamool Congress, and the person who was raided by the ED has not come before you.” It also said, “The search was conducted somewhere else, but another party is coming and saying that my data was with them. This is not how it works.”Justice Ghosh also adjourned a separate petition filed by the ED seeking a CBI probe into the events of January 8, when chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and Jain’s residence on Loudon Street during the searches. The court cited the ED’s decision to approach the Supreme Court with “almost identical” prayers as the reason for the adjournment.The ED has accused the West Bengal Police, allegedly acting in collusion with the chief minister, of obstructing its officials and claimed Banerjee entered the search sites and took away “key” evidence, including documents and electronic devices. The agency has sought an independent CBI inquiry, arguing that the alleged interference compromised its investigation.The matter is now set to be heard by the Supreme Court, where the ED has moved a plea alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government. The state government has filed a caveat.(With inputs from agencies)
