Supreme Court steps in on Bengal coal scam probe
The Supreme Court has paused three FIRs filed by West Bengal police against Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers after their raids at the I-PAC office and its director's home in Kolkata.
The ED claims Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and top state officials tried to block their investigation into a major coal scam, even alleging evidence was taken and officers were intimidated during the raids.
Why does this matter?
This clash between state leaders and a central agency is raising big questions about how investigations are handled when politics get involved.
The Supreme Court has warned that letting states interfere could lead to "lawlessness" and has ordered all CCTV footage from the raids be preserved.
With the next date of hearing not specified in the source, this case is shaping up to be an important test of checks and balances between state power and federal investigations.