The Supreme Court on Thursday, January 15, 2026, intervened in the ongoing dispute between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the West Bengal government, issuing a notice to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state's Director General of Police, and other top police officials. The apex court also stayed the First Information Reports (FIRs) that were registered by the West Bengal Police against ED officials following their raids on the premises of the political consultancy firm I-PAC. The ED had approached the Supreme Court alleging serious obstruction and interference by state agencies, including the Chief Minister herself, during their search operations at I-PAC's office and its co-founder Pratik Jain's residence on January 8, 2026. The central agency claimed that incriminating evidence and even an ED official's mobile phone were allegedly removed from the premises. The Court acknowledged the ED's allegations as "very serious" and expressed a prima facie view that the matter raises significant questions concerning the independence of central investigative agencies and potential interference by state authorities. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul Pancholi observed that if such issues were left undecided, it could lead to a situation of "lawlessness" and stressed the need for adherence to the rule of law, allowing each organ of the state to function independently. The Court directed the West Bengal government to file a counter-affidavit within two weeks and also ordered the preservation of CCTV footage and other storage devices from the searched premises and surrounding areas. The matter is slated for further hearing on February 3. The ED had also sought a CBI probe against Mamata Banerjee and state police officers for their alleged role in obstructing the investigation.