In the I-PAC-related case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is being seen as holding a strong position, as the agency is empowered with significant authority under Section 67 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Legal experts state that if allegations related to destruction or removal of evidence are proven, the matter could escalate to the extent of the arrest of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Precedents being cited include earlier cases involving Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Reacting sharply to the ED’s action, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has herself lodged complaints against the ED at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station and Bidhannagar Police Station. This move is being described as unprecedented in the country’s political and legal history.
Following the ED raid at the I-PAC office in Kolkata, a high-level virtual meeting has been proposed today at the ED headquarters in New Delhi. The meeting will include ED Director Rahul Navin along with other senior officials, and Kolkata-based ED officers, to review the developments and further course of action in the case.
