I-PAC Vs ED Case: Calcutta HC's Acting Chief Justice Refuses To Intervene In Single Bench's Order
The I-PAC case saw a day-long drama in the Calcutta High Court on Friday. There was a large crowd gathered in the HC.
Published : January 9, 2026 at 1:17 PM IST
|Updated : January 9, 2026 at 7:39 PM IST
Kolkata: Justice Sujoy Pal, the acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, on Friday orally observed that he would not intervene in the I-PAC versus the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case, on which an order was passed by a single bench.
The I-PAC case saw a day-long drama in the Calcutta High Court on Friday. Due to the commotion in the courtroom, Justice Shubhra Ghosh of the High Court initially adjourned the hearing of the case, stating that the hearing would be held next on January 14, 2026.
However, the ED approached the Acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Justice Sujoy Pal, requesting an urgent hearing. But the Acting Chief Justice also verbally stated that he would not intervene in the case.
Allegations of obstruction
On Thursday, the ED conducted raids at ten locations in Delhi and West Bengal in connection with a money laundering case related to coal smuggling. Six of these locations were in West Bengal. One was the residence of Prateek Jain, the head of IPAC, on Loudon Street in Kolkata, and another was the IPAC office in Salt Lake.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee was present at both locations during the raids. Later, the ED issued a press statement alleging that Banerjee, her associates, and West Bengal police and administrative officials obstructed the raids at both places. The ED also alleged that some files and electronic devices were forcibly taken away from the scene.
ED files case in High Court
The ED approached the Calcutta High Court with these allegations. They presented several applications before the court. They appealed to the court to order a CBI investigation, and that the CBI should register an FIR and begin the probe.
They also alleged that the obstruction of the investigation was unconstitutional. The ED also requested the court to order the immediate handover of all the documents that were forcibly taken away. They further requested that the seized documents and digital devices, along with media videos, be immediately sent for forensic examination. They also requested the court to order the submission of CCTV footage to the court.
Judge leaves courtroom without hearing the case
The hearing for this case was scheduled for Friday afternoon in Justice Shubhra Ghosh's courtroom. However, the ED's application was not heard. Justice Ghosh left the courtroom without hearing the case.
According to court sources, the hearing was scheduled in Courtroom number five of the High Court. That room is very small. It became extremely crowded. A commotion and shouting ensued. Seeing the chaotic situation, the judge initially requested that those not involved in the case leave the courtroom. However, the situation did not improve. The crowd remained the same. Justice Shubhra Ghosh became annoyed. She warned that she would not hear the case. Even then, the situation did not normalise.
Following this, Justice Ghosh left the courtroom. Later, it was announced that the case would now be heard on January 14, 2026.
Acting Chief Justice did not intervene in the single bench's order
According to court sources, after Justice Shubhra Ghosh's bench announced the next hearing date, the ED verbally informed Calcutta High Court's Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Pal about the matter. They requested that the case be heard on an urgent basis. The Chief Justice asked them to submit the application via email. The ED then submitted the application.
According to court sources, Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Pal then verbally informed the lawyers of both sides that he would not interfere with the judicial order.
Lawyers' statements
State lawyer Arka Nag said, "The ED filed a counter-case against the application filed by the Trinamool Congress. The hearing for that case was scheduled for 2:30 PM in Justice Shubhra Ghosh's courtroom. Before the hearing, some lawyers came to the courtroom and requested to speak. They identified themselves as representatives of the 'members of the public'. They were also asked to come at 2:30 PM. There was a large crowd in the courtroom during the hearing. As a result, the lawyers involved in the case could not even reach the podium.”
He added, "With the judge's permission, Kalyan Banerjee repeatedly requested that those not involved in the case leave the courtroom. But there was so much commotion that the judge got up and left, stating that the hearing would be held on January 14th. The ED then appealed to the Acting Chief Justice. However, since the order had already been passed, the Acting Chief Justice did not intervene. Consequently, the hearings for both cases will be held next Wednesday."
Lawyer Kalyan Banerjee said, "The hearing was scheduled for 2:30 PM today. The courtroom became extremely crowded. The judge requested some of the lawyers to leave. There was some commotion. For that reason, the judge did not hear the case."
Banerjee informed that the Judge said, 'I don't hear cases like this.'
Regarding what happened in Justice Shubhra Ghosh's courtroom, Kalyan Banerjee said, "I cannot say whether it was disorder or order. Because the lawyers were also eager to be present at the hearing of this case. I just said that the judge did not want to hear the case. Now, whether this was disorder or order, the judge will decide."
Banerjee had levelled a series of allegations, calling the entire incident a "crime." She claimed that crucial documents related to election strategies and political tactics have been seized. She called it an abuse of power by a central agency.
The ED, in a counter-statement, had levelled serious allegations against Banerjee and the West Bengal Police. The ED claims that during the search, Banerjee and the West Bengal police personnel forcibly removed documents and electronic evidence, thereby obstructing the investigation process.
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