According to materials submitted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before the Supreme Court, the disruption that brought proceedings to a halt in the Calcutta High Court on January 9 was allegedly orchestrated by the legal cell of the Trinamool Congress. WhatsApp messages cited by the central agency and accessed by India Today TV indicate that the commotion inside the courtroom was not spontaneous but coordinated, ultimately forcing the presiding judge to leave the court barely five minutes after the hearing began.
The WhatsApp chats placed on record include messages circulated in a group titled “Legal Minds,” where participants were allegedly instructed to assemble inside Court No. 5 for Item No. 10 on the cause list. The ED has argued that these messages demonstrate deliberate mobilisation of lawyers to overcrowd the courtroom during the hearing of the Enforcement Directorate–I-Pac matter.
The hearing itself was derailed even before substantive arguments could begin. As lawyers crowded into the courtroom, pushing and jostling reportedly broke out, creating disorder that prevented the court from functioning. Justice Suvra Ghosh repeatedly warned those present to maintain decorum and asked lawyers who were not directly connected to the case to leave the courtroom.
Despite these warnings, confusion and arguments erupted among the lawyers over who should remain inside and who should exit. The situation failed to improve even after the judge issued a clear ultimatum, stating that she would leave the courtroom if order was not restored within five minutes. With the overcrowding continuing unabated, Justice Ghosh eventually walked out, visibly displeased with the situation.
As a result of the disruption, the hearing was adjourned to January 14. The disorder not only stalled the proceedings in the ED’s petition but also led to the deferment of related cases involving the Trinamool Congress. In its plea before the High Court, the ED had sought a Central Bureau of Investigation probe against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that she had interfered in the agency’s investigation into the coal scam during searches conducted at the I-Pac office and the residence of its chief, Pratik Jain.
When the matter came up again earlier this week, the Calcutta High Court imposed strict access restrictions to prevent a repeat of the January 9 episode. An advisory was issued stating that only senior counsel, their assisting advocates, and the advocates-on-record representing the parties would be allowed inside the courtroom, underscoring the seriousness with which the court viewed the earlier disruption.
