The Calcutta High Court in India’s West Bengal state directed a joint Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and state police to investigate the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on Wednesday. The ED officials were assaulted during a search in West Bengal linked to a money laundering case.

The court mandated a thorough inquiry into the attack on ED officials. The court specified that the team has the authority to seek assistance from both state and national forces for its operations. The SIT will report directly to the jurisdictional magistrate, and the court will oversee its progress. Approval from the court is necessary for final reports, and personnel from the local police station where the assault complaint was filed are prohibited from participating. The court also directed the current Investigating Officer to promptly transfer all materials to the SIT.

Earlier, the Calcutta High Court had dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking a special investigation into the attack. The court rejected the PIL, filed by an advocate, citing insufficient grounds for intervention. PIL refers to a legal mechanism that allows individuals or groups to seek judicial intervention on matters of public concern. The petitioner had sought a writ of mandamus against the National Investigating Agency (NIA) or the CBI based solely on newspaper reports and without substantial research. The court deemed the ED capable of handling the matter, emphasizing that the petitioner did not establish the need for court intervention. The Chief Justice, T. S. Sivagnanam, highlighted the technical expertise of the ED and questioned the petitioner’s lack of research.

In West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali region, three criminal complaints have been filed against unidentified individuals for assaulting ED officials. Additionally, the ED officials themselves face charges in one complaint, accused of criminal trespass and intending to outrage a woman’s modesty during a search operation. The charges against ED officials include criminal trespass, theft intent, and outraging a woman’s modesty. Two other complaints relate to the assault on ED officials, involving charges of rioting and assault on public servants. The ED had reported the assault during operations in West Bengal, stating that their team was attacked by a large group carrying weapons, resulting in injuries to three officials and damage to property.