The second explosive petition the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved to the Supreme Court, accusing her government of a planned 17-offence attack on federal investigators during January 8, 2026 raids on the political consultancy I-PAC in the Kolkata coal scam investigation. Nishant Kumar, Vikram Ahlawat and Prashant Chandila, the ED Assistant Directors, filed a case against Mamata, DGP Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, and Deputy Commissioner Priyobroto Roy as respondents on robbery, dacoity, evidence tampering and intimidation of a public servant under BNS.
I-PAC Raid Mayhem: ED Explosive Charges.
The TMC supporters broke the doors at I-PAC Salt Lake office (I-PAC election strategist) and the home of Pratik Jain, the director, on January 8, claiming to steal documents, laptops, and mobiles in the presence of law enforcement, who reportedly did not intervene. ED Whatsapp groups organized crowds, Calcutta HC hearing January 10 broke up in pandemonium–judge fled congested courtroom.
ED’s 17 BNS charges:
| Offence | ED Allegation | State Response |
| Robbery/Dacoity | Seizure of documents | Political materials |
| Destruction of evidence | Laptop theft | Kolkata Police FIR |
| Obstruction by public servants | Police interference | Police misconduct |
| Criminal Intimidation | TMC threats | Baseless |
ED requires CBI investigation, machine recovery, and safeguarding to allow free PMLA inquiry to 100 crore coal embezzlement that is claimed to have been channeled using I-pac.
Mamata Govt’s Counter-Fire
Caveat filed guarantees SC hearing; Mamata thundered: ED raids political strategy documents- not financial crimes. Kolkata Police filed FIRs against unidentified ED officials on document theft, investigation will focus on agency behavior.
TMC story: The election analytics, rather than the evidence of coal scam is present in the I-PAC materials. Banerjee made an allegation of ED weaponizing against 2026 polls.
The History of the Build-up of Confrontation.
| Date | Event |
| Jan 8, 2026 | ED raids I-PAC; TMC anarchy breaks out |
| Jan 9 | Article 32 SC petition by ED |
| Jan 10 | Calcutta HC adjourns in mob |
| Jan 11 | In second petition, ED identifies Mamata |
| Jan 12 | Bengal caveat; ED FIR police |
Stakes and Precedents of the Supreme Court.
Article 32 urgency: ED cites basic rights violation-federal agency put under state machinery. Requests SIT/CBI investigation into courtroom disturbance resembling 2024 Sandeshkhali violence.
Legal precedents:
- Vijay Madanlal (2022): The immune of HC is not subject to the searches of PMLA.
- Kolkata HC 2023: ED entitled stand-alone operations.
- Article 131: jurisdiction conflict between centre-states.
SC listing imminent: Mamata titled literally comes to Constitution Bench possibility.
Coal Scam-I-PAC Money Trail
Central probe: 538 crore illegal coal transportation by Asansol-Pecham; I-PAC claimed it was laundered through election consulting fee. Jain firm was in charge of the 2021, 2024 campaigns of TMC; ED is tracking dark money in shell entities.
Parallel probes:
- Main scam of coal: 6 arrests, 100 crores attachments.
- Secondary laundering: I-PAC as conduit challenged.
- West Bengal counter-FIRs: ED officials designated.
There is an escalation of political warfare.
2026 battleground Bengal: ED time just in time before Assembly polls. The 17% vote loss (2024 LS) of Mamata susceptible to corruption story. BJP Suvendu Adhikari: “ED blockade of Didi revealed.
Federalism flash point: Second ED SC petition following Calcutta HC debacle flunks cooperative federalism. Centre weighs on President Rule invocation on a SC indictment of state machinery.
ED’s Emergency Demands
Petition seeks:
- CBI/SIT probe into 17 offences
- Device forensic recovery
- ED operational protection.
- Disdain towards government officers.
Defence of Mamata: Political revenge, ED vultures data on elections. Risks escalation of tit-for-tat in Kolkata Police probe.
SC intervention decisive: Federal probe agency vs elected government- Article 32 supremacy challenges PMLA. I-PAC raids reveal investigation vs interference fault line; Mamata is depending on evidence restoration.
