SC to hear today ED plea against 'obstruction' by Didi

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court will hear on Thursday the petition filed by ED against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for allegedly obstructing ED's raid on I-PAC's Pratik Jain, and for tampering and stealing evidence and intimidating its officials.A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Vipul M Pancholi will hear the writ petition filed by ED under Article 32 of the Constitution.The West Bengal govt has already filed a caveat in the SC to preempt ED from seeking and getting an ex parte order.The petition has been filed against the State of West Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee, state DGP Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata police commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma and South Kolkata deputy commissioner Priyabatra Roy.ED accused the CM and top police brass of committing 17 offences under BNS, including robbery, dacoity, theft, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty, causing disappearance and destruction of evidence and criminal intimidation.Terming the incident shocking, unprecedented and extraordinary, ED said, "Protectors of law - the CM, DGP and Kolkata police commissioner are party to serious cognisable offences requiring registration of an FIR."