Supreme Court Denies Delay in ED Case Linked to I-PAC Raids in Bengal

Bengal, Mar 18 : Supreme Court of India on Wednesday refused to grant an adjournment in a case filed by the Enforcement Directorate against the West Bengal Government, directing the state to begin its submissions without delay.

The matter pertains to allegations by the ED that its search operations at offices linked to political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee were obstructed. The case has emerged as a key legal confrontation between a central agency and the state administration ahead of upcoming elections.

A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and K V Vishwanathan declined the state’s request for additional time to respond to the ED’s rejoinder affidavit. The plea for adjournment was opposed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who argued against unnecessary delays in proceedings.

During the hearing, the state government also sought referral of the matter to a Constitution bench, citing broader constitutional questions regarding the maintainability of the ED’s petition under Article 32 and the legal framework governing disputes between central agencies and states.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the state, argued that government departments lack independent legal identity to initiate proceedings in their own name, raising questions over the admissibility of such petitions.

The court, however, chose to continue with the hearing, signalling its intent to address the matter without postponement.