The notice follows remarks made by Banerjee at a public meeting in Kolkata on January 8, where she alleged that money from an alleged coal scam was routed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah through Adhikari. The rally was organised to protest Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC.
In a statement accompanying the legal notice, Adhikari termed the allegations “baseless, reckless and defamatory,” accusing the Chief Minister of attempting to divert attention from ongoing investigations by central agencies. He said the remarks had damaged his reputation and lowered the standards of public discourse. “These statements were made publicly without any evidence. If proof is not furnished within 72 hours, I will pursue legal action,” Adhikari said.
Banerjee, meanwhile, has doubled down on her accusations against the Bharatiya Janata Party and central agencies. After filing two FIRs against the ED, she led a protest march in Kolkata, claiming she possessed pen drives containing evidence against Amit Shah. At the rally, she also questioned the neutrality of constitutional bodies, alleged voter data manipulation, and accused central agencies of targeting opposition leaders.
The political confrontation has coincided with heightened legal tensions. On January 9, proceedings in the Calcutta High Court were disrupted after chaos erupted in a courtroom hearing a petition filed by the Trinamool Congress against the ED’s search operations. Justice Shubhra Ghosh adjourned the hearing to January 14 after lawyers argued and scuffles broke out, forcing her to leave the courtroom without hearing the case.
The ED, in its submissions to the court, alleged that a coal smuggling network in West Bengal generated ₹2,742 crore between 2017 and 2020. The agency claimed that around ₹20 crore from this pool was routed through hawala channels to I-PAC and used for election-related activities in Goa. It further alleged that forensic examinations during searches were disrupted following the Chief Minister’s arrival at the I-PAC office, and that digital evidence and witnesses were interfered with.
Citing these claims, the ED has sought a CBI probe and an independent forensic investigation. The developments have sharpened political fault lines in the state, with legal and political battles expected to intensify in the coming days.
