The Supreme Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing of the high-stakes I-PAC case to February 18. The proceedings were rescheduled after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, informed the court of his illness. This marks another delay in the legal tussle between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the state government.

The Root of the Conflict: The controversy dates back to January 8, when the ED conducted raids at the I-PAC office in Kolkata and the residence of its head, Pratik Jain, in connection with a coal smuggling probe. In a dramatic turn of events, CM Mamata Banerjee visited the sites during the raids and allegedly took away several files and electronic devices.

Legal Claims: The ED approached the Supreme Court, accusing the Chief Minister of obstructing justice and equating the act to “theft and robbery.” Conversely, the CM filed an affidavit stating that the documents were moved with the explicit permission of the ED officials present on-site.

Last Tuesday, the ED’s counsel had requested a seven-day window to review the state’s affidavit. While the court was set to hear the arguments today, February 10, the illness of the lead counsel necessitated the adjournment. The nation now awaits the February 18 hearing to see how the apex court reacts to these conflicting claims.