Supreme Court on I-PAC Case: CM’s interference in investigation is a threat to democracy, Supreme Court comments on Mamata Banerjee’s action

News India Live, Digital Desk: In the ongoing legal battle between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) versus the West Bengal government, the Supreme Court has made very strict and scathing remarks regarding the conduct of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. During the hearing held on Wednesday (22 April 2026), Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice N.V. Anjaria’s bench said that a Chief Minister entering the premises during a raid by an investigating agency and obstructing the investigation amounts to “endangering democracy”. “Extraordinary and unfortunate situation” The Supreme Court expressed surprise over the presence of Mamata Banerjee during the raids at the office of I-PAC and the house of its director Prateek Jain. The court commented: “This is a situation that no one would have imagined that a sitting Chief Minister of the country would personally reach the investigating agency’s office or the raid site. This is not just a State versus Center dispute, but a case of a person holding a constitutional post using the entire system to obstruct the investigation.” ED’s allegations: Tampering with evidence The ED argued in the court that in January 2026, when their team was investigating the coal scam and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached there when the I-Pak locations were being raided in a money laundering case and not only threatened the officials but also took away important documents and electronic equipment with herself. ED claims that the Chief Minister spent about 25 minutes there and directly interfered in the work of the investigating agency. Bengal government’s argument: Attack on the federal structure. Senior advocates on behalf of the West Bengal government argued that the ED’s action was motivated by political vendetta. He said that I-PAC is an election strategist of TMC and the central agency’s arrival there just before the elections is an attempt to obtain confidential election data. The Bengal government also argued that the ED is not a ‘Body Corporate’, hence it cannot directly approach the Supreme Court under Article 32. Tough questions and directions from the Supreme Court Rejecting the state government’s arguments, the court asked whether the ED should have merely ‘watched and watched’ when a Chief Minister was obstructing the investigation? The court has given the following instructions in this case: Limited security: The stay on the FIR of the state police registered against the ED officers will continue. Evidence preservation: The court directed that the CCTV footage and digital data during the raid should be kept safe. Next action: The court is now considering the ED’s petition demanding a CBI investigation in view of the seriousness of this case. Bengal on the cusp of elections, political activity intensified by the Supreme Court This comment comes at a time when the voting process for the assembly elections in West Bengal is about to begin (April 23 and 29). The BJP has described the remarks as a “severe rebuke” to Mamata Banerjee, while the TMC has termed it as misuse of investigative agencies by the central government. At present, before the results on May 4, this court comment has created a stir in the politics of the state.