The legal battle between the West Bengal government and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) over the I-PAC raid has reached its crescendo in the Supreme Court. Today, February 10, the apex court is set to hear the arguments regarding the alleged obstruction of an ED search operation by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The conflict stems from the January 8 raids at I-PAC offices and the residence of its head, Pratik Jain. The ED alleged that the CM, accompanied by the state’s top police officials, “forcibly removed” crucial files and devices, an act they described as “theft” of evidence. Consequently, the agency has petitioned for a CBI probe into the matter.

In response, CM Mamata Banerjee’s affidavit claims that the documents were taken only after obtaining verbal consent from the ED officers on-site, emphasizing that there was no interference in the legal process. With the ED having spent the last seven days preparing their counter-rebuttal, today’s hearing is expected to be a decisive moment in this intense federal-state friction.