Kolkata, Jan 8 (IANS) Pratik Jain, the co-founder of vote strategy agency, Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), on Thursday afternoon, filed a counter petition at a single-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the latter’s raid and search operations earlier in the day at his residence at Loudon Street in central Kolkata as well as at the I-PAC’s office on the northern outskirts of Kolkata.
The petition has been admitted by the single-judge Bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh.
Incidentally, earlier in the day, the ED also approached the same Bench, accusing West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misusing her constitutional position by allegedly creating hindrances to the official duties of central agency officials during raid and search operations at these two places conducted earlier in the day.
Since both the petitions, the first by the ED and then by Jain, are related to the same matter, and both are being admitted by the same Bench, both matters will be heard simultaneously by the said Bench on Friday.
Already, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the ED had stolen documents belonging to the Trinamool Congress in the name of conducting search operations at the two premises.
The ED had also countered the allegations by the Chief Minister and claimed that the raid and search operations were in connection with an alleged coal smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majee, and also claimed that these operations were in no way related to I-PAC's association with any political party.
Now with both ED and Jain moving the same Bench of the Calcutta High Court in the matter, all eyes will be on the hearing in the matter on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress had issued a statement claiming that the Chief Minister will also hit the streets against the ED’s action on Friday. She will be leading a protest rally starting from Jadavpur in South Kolkata and ending at Hazra Crossing also in South Kolkata. The rally will start at 2 p.m.
--IANS
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