Calcutta HC sets guidelines for ED on raids, searches in Bengal scams

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday set guidelines for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to the dissemination of information regarding the raids and search operations conducted by the probe agency in the alleged scams in West Bengal.

While passing a writ petition filed on exposures of the central agency sleuths through the media, the single-judge bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya stated that there cannot be any live-streaming of the raid and search operations.

There is a prohibition on making the details of search and seizures public during the course of raid and search operations or before the end of the process.

The ED sleuths should also not allow any media person to accompany them.

While there is not much restriction on the publication of news y the media, the court has ruled to avoid the use of pictures of the accused before the final charge sheet in the matter is filed.

The writ petition was filed by Rujira Narula Banerjee, wife of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for January 2024.