Ipac Ed Hearing: Unprecedented Chaos! IPAC Case Hearing Adjourned at Calcutta High Court, Judge Leaves Courtroom
Ipac Ed Hearing: On Friday morning, the Calcutta High Court witnessed unprecedented scenes as a high-profile hearing involving I-PAC and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) descended into chaos. The situation inside the courtroom escalated to such an extent that the presiding judge was forced to leave the bench, leading to an abrupt adjournment of the proceedings. All eyes were on this case following the ED raids at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and the subsequent political standoff, but the disorder has temporarily stalled the legal process.
Why the Courtroom Chaos?
The hearing was scheduled to take place in the courtroom of Justice Shubhra Ghosh on Friday. Since morning, the High Court premises saw heightened activity and security. However, just moments before the hearing was set to commence, the courtroom became overcrowded with lawyers and the general public, leaving no room to stand.
As the noise levels rose and the crowd became unmanageable, it became evident that normal judicial proceedings could not continue. Justice Shubhra Ghosh stated that conducting a hearing in such a chaotic environment was impossible. Consequently, she left the courtroom, and the hearing for this crucial case was postponed indefinitely.
The Trigger: Thursday’s Events
The legal battle stems from events that unfolded on Thursday afternoon. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake and the residence of its head, Pratik Jain. During the operation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived at the scene.
This led to a fierce confrontation between the central agency and the state administration. The ED alleged that they were obstructed from performing their duties and that seized documents and digital evidence were forcibly snatched away. The central agency claimed that the Chief Minister and police officials interfered with the raid.
Counter-Claims and Political Heat
On the other hand, the Trinamool Congress and I-PAC have termed the ED’s operation as politically motivated. They argue that the central agency’s raid was an attempt to steal strategic election data ahead of upcoming polls. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee asserted that she only retrieved internal party documents and hard disks, which she claimed were unrelated to any investigation.
Current Legal Status
Following the incident, the ED moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging obstruction of their investigation and attempts to destroy evidence. They sought an urgent hearing before the judge. Simultaneously, I-PAC also approached the court challenging the validity of the ED’s search operation.
While both petitions were slated for a hearing on Friday, the courtroom disorder prevented any arguments from being placed. The date for the next hearing has not yet been announced, but the incident has significantly heightened tensions in both political and legal circles.
