NEW DELHI, Apr 22: The Supreme Court on Wednesday strongly deprecated West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s storming into the premises of Pratik Jain – the co-founder of political consultancy firm I-PAC – when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was carrying out searches on January 8, this year, observing that such conduct by a constitutional functionary has the potential to undermine democratic processes.
Terming it “extraordinary”, a Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria, said, “A Chief Minister of any State cannot walk in the midst of an investigation, put the democracy in peril. This is per se an act committed by an individual who happens to be the Chief Minister, keeping the whole democracy in jeopardy.”
The strong observation by the bench came in the course of the hearing of a petition by the Enforcement Directorate seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and other State police officers who had accompanied her at the time of the incident. The Central agency and its officers have approached the Supreme Court, invoking the top court’s jurisdiction under Article 32 of the Constitution. Ordinarily, Article 32 can be taken recourse to by the citizens to safeguard their rights against the State. The West Bengal government has questioned the maintainability of the ED’s petitions.
As the senior lawyers appearing for the West Bengal government, opposing the maintainability of the ED’s petition, referred to the noted jurist M H Seervai and Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar in support of their contention, the bench remarked “You have taken us through Seervai, Ambedkar, but none of them would have conceived this situation, that a sitting Chief Minister will walk into the office” (where searches by ED are underway.
Further voicing its concern over what had happened on January 8, during the ED raids at I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain’s residence, “We cannot shut our eyes to the reality. This is an extraordinary situation where the contours are totally different, the court has to take decisions keeping in view socio-political realities.”
The bench also referred to the April 1 incident, when seven judicial officers, including three women judges – engaged in the special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State – were gheraoed, and there, the response of the State police was not immediate despite calls from the Calcutta High Court. The investigation into the incident has now been handed over to the National Investigation Agency.
The West Bengal government had in the earlier hearing, told the Supreme Court that the Enforcement Directorate was being “weaponized” by the Central government against political opponents,
Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Siddharth Luthra and Menaka Guruswamy, appearing for the West Bengal government, Chief Minister Banerjee and state police officials, argued that the petition was not maintainable under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The Bench, however, was not persuaded that the matter required reference to a larger Bench merely because questions of law were involved. It observed that in every issue, there is a question of law, but it does not necessitate reference to a larger bench.

The case arises out of an incident on January 8, when Banerjee allegedly entered the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain during ED search operations linked to a money laundering probe in the coal smuggling case.
She has denied allegations of interference, stating that the documents taken pertained to the Trinamool Congress, while accusing the central agency of acting with political vendetta. The ED, on its part, maintains that the searches were part of an ongoing investigation into the alleged coal scam.
The hearing will continue on Thursday.
(UNI)

NEW DELHI, Apr 22 : Poll-related seizures, including cash, drugs and liquor meant to allure voters, have crossed the Rs 1,000 crore mark in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
While seizures worth nearly Rs 473 crore have been made from West Bengal, it has been pegged at over Rs 599 crore in Tamil Nadu.
The EC said since the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) was activated on February 26, enforcement authorities have recovered freebies and allurements worth Rs 1,072.13 crore in the two states.
Tamil Nadu will go to polls on Thursday in a single phase along with phase one in West Bengal where the second phase of voting is slated for April 29.
The seizures include Rs 127.67 crore in cash, nearly 41,000 litres of liquor worth Rs 106.3 crore, drugs worth nearly Rs 184 crore and precious metals such as gold and silver worth Rs 215 crore.
Authorities have also seized freebies worth Rs 418 crore, the EC said.
While more cash has been seized in Tamil Nadu, most of the liquor has been recovered from West Bengal.
West Bengal saw more drugs recovered in terms of value, while more precious metals and freebies — also in terms of total worth — were seized in Tamil Nadu. (PTI(

THRISSUR (Kerala), Apr 22 : The toll in the Thrissur fireworks unit explosion rose to 14 with the death of one more person on Wednesday, even as the district authorities said the number was likely to increase following the DNA tests of the over 32 body parts found from the blast site.
Taking note of the extent of the tragedy, the Kerala government declared the blast a ‘state-specific disaster’ — which allows the administration to provide immediate relief and aid — and announced a financial assistance of Rs 14 lakh to the dependents of those who died in the incident.
The decision was taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, which also decided to appoint a single-member judicial commission, comprising former Kerala High Court judge Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, to carry out a probe into the incident.
Following the announcement of the judicial probe, Justice Nair said that the commission may recommend changes to the fireworks pattern, but not a ban on them, as they add colour to the temple festivals and attract people to such events.
He said that the intention behind setting up the commission was to ensure that such a disaster, which claimed so many lives, does not recur in the future.
On Wednesday, the district administration said that Praveen (45), who was critically injured in the blast, died in an Intensive Care Unit of the medical college here.
Prior to his death, officials said that at least 13 people appeared to have died in the accident that occurred on Tuesday.
They further said that the actual death toll may go up after the DNA testing of the over 32 body parts recovered from the blast site.
The district administration also said that of the nine bodies recovered from the blast site, eight have been identified and were handed over to relatives after post-mortem.
District Collector Shikha Surendran told reporters that DNA samples were being collected from body parts by experts from the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Biotechnology and that the test results are expected to be available in 3-4 days.
The Collector also said that four persons were missing, according to information from their relatives, and the number could increase after reconciliation of the details received at the control rooms.
The Collector further said that 10 persons reached home safely following the incident.
Regarding those injured, she said that 11 persons were undergoing treatment at the Thrissur Medical College.
Surendran said that search operations were almost over and steps were being taken to secure the unexploded firecrackers present at the blast site.
In the morning, following the special online cabinet meeting, State Revenue Minister K Rajan announced the government decision to declare the blast a ‘state-specific disaster’ and the financial assistance that will be provided to those injured and the next of kin of the deceased.
He said that of the Rs 14 lakh financial assistance to dependents of the deceased, Rs 4 lakh would be paid from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the remaining Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF).
The injured will be given the amount allowed under the SDRF and Rs 2 lakh as emergency financial assistance from the CMDRF, he said.
He further said that the Cabinet also decided that the government will bear the medical expenses of the injured in government and private hospitals for the next 6 months, and the amount required for it will be allocated from the CMDRF as recommended by the District Collector.
Additionally, the medical assistance will also include the permissible amount from the SDRF.
The cabinet also validated the government decision taken on Tuesday to sanction Rs 50 lakh from the SDRF for emergency response, and the District Collector has been given permission to utilise the money for the disaster response, he said.
State Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan said experts from all medical departments are present at the Thrissur Medical College to provide all necessary treatment to those injured in the blast.
Vasavan also told reporters that a meeting of the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady Devaswoms, which organise the Thrissur Pooram festival, the district administration and concerned officials will be held on Thursday at 10.30 am, as permitted by the Kerala High Court.
Following the meeting, a decision will be taken on how to move forward with the conduct of the festival in the wake of the tragedy, he said.
Even as the government announced a judicial probe, Kerala State Police Chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar said that a comprehensive probe is underway to ascertain the exact cause of the explosion.
Chandrasekhar said that an SIT under Thrissur City Police Commissioner has been constituted to carry out the investigation, adding that additional forensic teams from nearby districts have been deployed to assist the probe.
The explosion took place around 3.30 pm on Tuesday at a fireworks unit engaged in cracker preparation for a temple devaswom ahead of the upcoming Thrissur Pooram on April 26.
Firecrackers were being manufactured in multiple temporary sheds located in an isolated area amid paddy fields, and around 40 people were suspected to have been present there. (PTI)

KOLKATA, April 22: Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday urged people to remain vigilant and ensure the para military forces personnel do not cast votes for BJP forcibly.
Banerjee was addressing a political rally at Amdanga Uludanga Sadhanpur Lower Primary School.
She alleged that the BJP will use the para military force personnel to cast votes in its favour. “BJP is the most corrupt and nasty political party. It can go to any extent to loot votes. Have you seen armoured cars being deployed in election
“Those whose responsibility is to guard the border have been deployed. More than two lakh army and para military force personnel have been deployed. They are planning to arrest Trinamool workers before the election,” she alleged.
Banerjee said some police officers have connived with the BJP to harass and terrorise voters. The Election Commission did not give permission to hold a meeting at Collins Lane in my constituency. They are trying to win election by hook or by crook.”
He said: “BJP leaders are telling lies and spreading canard against Bengal. This is their culture. You should take political revenge. They forced you to stand in long queues in the name of SIR, note ban.
“They can make the EVM machines inoperative to slow the election procedure. Stand in the queue till the EVM is replaced or else they will change the machine. After the election is over the outsiders who come here to vote do not let them go,” she said.
She alleged that the ECI has planned to arrest 1000 Trinamul Congress workers. ” We have our plans and have kept our workers ready. After the election is over again the officers will be under us. Behave impartially.”
She said the BJP has no chance of winning the election. “Their planning is to go for slow voting and slow counting. The responsibility of the election agents is enormous this time. Do not leave the counting premises till the last vote is counted.”
She said: “Oust the BJP to save Bengal. If they come they will disturb our communal peace and harmony. The BJP believes only in hatred. Ensure that all the seats in north 24 parganas go to Trinamul Congress. Every seat is important.” (UNI)