Pratik Jain Moves Calcutta High Court Against ED Raids; Matter to Be Heard Alongside Agency’s Petition

Kolkata, Jan 2026 : Pratik Jain, co-founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), on Thursday afternoon filed a counter petition before a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court, challenging the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raid and search operations conducted earlier in the day at his residence on Loudon Street in central Kolkata and at I-PAC’s office located on the northern outskirts of the city.

The petition was admitted by the single-judge Bench presided over by Justice Suvra Ghosh. Jain’s legal move came just hours after the ED had approached the same Bench, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of allegedly misusing her constitutional position by obstructing the official duties of central agency officials during the searches at the two locations.

Since both petitions pertain to the same sequence of events and involve overlapping issues, the court has decided to hear them together. The Bench is scheduled to take up both matters simultaneously on Friday, making the hearing a closely watched legal and political development in the state.

Earlier in the day, while ED teams were carrying out simultaneous searches at the two premises, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited both locations in quick succession. Subsequently, she alleged that the central agency had removed or “stolen” documents belonging to the Trinamool Congress under the guise of conducting search operations.

The ED, however, strongly refuted the Chief Minister’s allegations. In its clarification, the agency stated that the raid and search operations were carried out in connection with an alleged coal smuggling syndicate, purportedly led by Anup Majee. The agency also maintained that the searches had no connection whatsoever with I-PAC’s professional association with any political party, including the ruling Trinamool Congress.

The ED further asserted that its actions were evidence-based and conducted strictly in accordance with legal procedures under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). It emphasised that no political party office had been searched and that the investigation was not linked to any electoral process.

With both the central agency and Pratik Jain now seeking judicial intervention from the same Bench, legal observers expect the court proceedings on Friday to focus on the legality, scope and conduct of the searches, as well as the allegations of obstruction and misuse of authority.

Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress escalated its political response to the ED action. In a statement, the party announced that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee would take to the streets on Friday to protest against what it termed as “misuse of central agencies.” She is scheduled to lead a protest rally starting from Jadavpur in south Kolkata and culminating at Hazra Crossing. The rally is slated to begin at 2 p.m. and is expected to draw significant public attention amid the intensifying confrontation between the state leadership and central investigative agencies.

Team Maverick.