High drama unfolded at the Calcutta High Court on Friday as proceedings related to Enforcement Directorate raids at the residence of political consultancy firm I-PAC&rsquo;s director Pratik Jain were adjourned due to disruptions inside the courtroom.
The matter was taken up amid heightened political tension in West Bengal following ED searches linked to the alleged 2020 coal smuggling case. The controversy escalated on Thursday when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the I-PAC office while the agency was conducting searches.
During the hearing, Justice Suvra Ghosh noted that several lawyers and individuals entered the courtroom, creating a significant disturbance and preventing the proceedings from continuing smoothly. Despite repeated appeals from the bench to maintain order and decorum, the situation did not improve, prompting the court to adjourn the matter.
The court was scheduled to hear two separate petitions&mdash;one filed by the Enforcement Directorate and the other by the All India Trinamool Congress. The ED petition seeks a probe against the chief minister for allegedly obstructing an ongoing investigation, while the TMC plea urges the court to restrain the central agency from sharing or leaking any party-related information.
Earlier, Mamata Banerjee accused central agencies of attempting to seize documents and digital data related to the party&rsquo;s election preparations. She alleged that the raids were aimed at targeting the TMC ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
Later in the day, the chief minister intensified her attack on the Centre by leading a large protest rally in Kolkata, accusing the BJP-led government of misusing central agencies to undermine her party&rsquo;s election strategy.

Court proceedings halted after disruption during hearing on ED raids linked to I-PAC

Calcutta HC Adjourns ED–TMC Hearing Amid Chaos

Court proceedings halted after disruption during hearing on ED raids linked to I-PAC

January 10, 2026 | 18:38 IST