Supreme Court ने ED बनाम Mamata Banerjee के I‑PAC कार्यालय की तलाशी पर सुनवाई की – संघीय संरचना दांव पर

<h2>Supreme Court Hearing on ED’s Writ Petition against West Bengal Government</h2> <p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court of India — the apex judicial body in India, whose decisions are binding on all courts and authorities (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court</span> convened on <strong>24 March 2026</strong> to consider a writ petition filed by the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Enforcement Directorate (ED) — a central agency under the Ministry of Finance tasked with investigating money‑laundering and foreign exchange violations (GS3: Economy)">ED</span>. The petition alleges that <strong>West Bengal Chief Minister <span class="key-term" data-definition="Mamata Banerjee — the elected leader of West Bengal and head of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) (GS2: Polity)">Mamata Banerjee</span></strong> and state police officers obstructed the agency’s search of the office of <span class="key-term" data-definition="I‑PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) — a political consultancy firm linked to the All India Trinamool Congress, often engaged for election strategy and media management (GS2: Polity)">I‑PAC</span>, the party’s political consultant.</p> <h3>Key Developments (as of the hearing)</h3> <ul> <li>Bench comprising <strong>Justice P.K. Mishra</strong> and <strong>Justice N.V. Anjaria</strong> heard arguments from both sides.</li> <li>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="State’s opposition — West Bengal contended that a central department filing a writ against a state threatens the federal balance enshrined in the Constitution (GS2: Polity)">State</span> challenged the maintainability of the petition, invoking concerns over federalism.</li> <li>ED reiterated that obstruction of a lawful search hampers the enforcement of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Prevention of Money‑Laundering Act (PMLA) — legislation empowering authorities to investigate and prosecute money‑laundering activities (GS3: Economy)">PMLA</span> and undermines the rule of law.</li> <li>The Court reserved its order, indicating that further arguments and evidence may be required before a final decision.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <ul> <li>The writ petition was filed by ED under its statutory powers to seek a direction for the search of premises suspected of being used for money‑laundering.</li> <li>I‑PAC’s office, located in Kolkata, is alleged to have been used for financial transactions linked to the Trinamool Congress.</li> <li>West Bengal’s legal team argued that allowing a central agency to sue a state government could set a precedent that erodes the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Federal structure — the division of powers between the Union and the States as defined by the Constitution of India (GS2: Polity)">federal structure</span> and the principle of cooperative federalism.</li> <li>The hearing is part of a broader series of investigations into political financing across several states.</li> </ul> <h3>UPSC