Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice NV Anjaria of the Supreme Court reserved orders on Thursday after the Enforcement Directorate filed a writ petition seeking the filing of an FIR and a CBI investigation into Mamata Banerjee’s alleged interference with an ED search of I‑PAC offices in Kolkata on January 8.
During the raid, Banerjee allegedly entered the premises with senior party leaders, confronted the ED officers, and reportedly removed documents, actions the Directorate claims impeded its investigation into a coal‑scam money‑laundering probe.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Banerjee, argued that the political landscape has shifted since she left office, allowing the new West Bengal government to refer the case to the CBI without obstruction.
However, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju cautioned that a CBI referral could invite accusations of political malice and that senior police officials, already named as accused, could influence the inquiry.
Justice Misra noted similar points raised by Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy and warned that the case could be tainted by perceived political motives.
The court will issue its decision by the end of next week, after which the new state administration will determine whether to hand the matter over to the CBI, a move that could set a precedent for future investigations involving former elected leaders.