Battle Cry: Rajnath Singh counts recent strikes against Pak as warning for future

This special report covers the escalating political and legal tensions in West Bengal ahead of the elections. A Block Development Officer (BDO) office in the Murshidabad district was reportedly vandalised and ransacked by protesters following a speech by TMC MLA Monirul Islam regarding the SIR process. The MLA allegedly claimed that 'Rama included Rahim excluded' in the exercise, suggesting a communal bias where Muslims are being targeted. Meanwhile, a high-stakes legal battle has reached the Supreme Court as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) accuses Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the State DGP of obstructing a raid and forcibly seizing documents and electronic devices. The ED has sought to make the Chief Minister a third party in the case, alleging a cognisable offence. Additionally, the CBI has launched searches at multiple locations in a separate fraud case, while the TMC alleges these central agency actions are a bid to steal data for political advantage.

On this Special Report, Sneha Koshy tracks the high-stakes legal battle in the Supreme Court between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the West Bengal government. The case involves ED raids on IPAC and Pratik Jain regarding alleged money laundering linked to a 2020 coal smuggling scam. Sneha Koshy notes that the TMC has questioned the timing of these raids, coming just months before the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the state, argued that the 'ED is trying to do something called forum shopping' by approaching both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court simultaneously. The ED, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, alleges that over ₹20 crore was diverted to IPAC via hawala operators during the 2022 Goa elections. The programme explores the political and legal ramifications as Mamata Banerjee’s counsel accuses the central agency of attempting to 'steal' political blueprints under the guise of a criminal investigation.

A border posting, a self-taught voice, and a song sung straight from the heart.

In a significant legal development, the Supreme Court of India expressed deep concern over the disruption of proceedings at the Calcutta High Court, asking if the constitutional court had 'turn into Jantar Mantar'. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, alleged a 'massive theft of evidence' by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during raids at the IPAC offices and the residence of Pratik Jain. The ED claimed that despite providing advance notice to the state police, the Chief Minister personally intervened, allegedly taking possession of sensitive documents and gadgets. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the West Bengal government and TMC, contested the ED's plea for a CBI probe, arguing that the matter should remain with the High Court. The Supreme Court described the allegations of manufactured chaos and interference in the coal block scam investigation as 'very serious', noting it intends to examine the conduct that led to the postponement of previous hearings.