Crime
I-PAC raid row: ED tells SC it has been ‘terrorised’ in Bengal
New Delhi, Feb 18: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that it has been “terrorised” in West Bengal, as the apex court adjourned hearing on its plea accusing the state government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of interfering in recent search operations at the office of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain in Kolkata.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the federal anti-money laundering agency, strongly refuted the submission that the ED had “weaponised” its powers.
The remarks came after senior advocate Siddharth Luthra contended that the ED must justify the “weaponisation” of its authority.
“It (ED) has not been weaponised, it has been terrorised,” ASG Raju said.
After Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the Centre’s second-highest law officer, stated that the ED is likely to file its rejoinder during the day, a Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and K.V. Viswanathan posted the matter for further hearing on March 18.
The hearing was adjourned last week following a request made due to the ill health of senior advocate Kapil Sibal.
During the brief hearing, SG Mehta, representing the ED, informed the apex court that he had been apprised about Sibal’s inability to appear.
“I can’t oppose on this ground. If it can be kept on 18th February,” the Centre’s second-highest law officer submitted.
Acceding to the request, the Justice Mishra-led Bench had deferred the matter for further hearing on February 18.
The ED has approached the top court seeking directions to register FIRs against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the state Director General of Police (DGP), and the Kolkata Police Commissioner, alleging obstruction of lawful duties during the federal agency’s simultaneous search operations.
In her counter-affidavit, Chief Minister Banerjee has denied all allegations of interference and obstruction, asserting that her limited presence on the premises was solely to retrieve confidential and proprietary data belonging to her Trinamool Congress (AITC).
According to the affidavit, CM Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence at Loudon Street and I-PAC’s office in Bidhannagar on January 8, 2026, after receiving information that sensitive political data of the Trinamool was being accessed during the searches. She maintained that the data was “vitally linked to the AITC’s strategy for the upcoming Legislative Assembly election”.
The affidavit stated that when she reached the premises, she “politely requested the officials of the Enforcement Directorate to be allowed to retrieve the Party’s data and the devices they were stored in and files containing prints of the same”.
It further claimed that “the officers of the Enforcement Directorate present thereat did not object to this request and permitted her to retrieve some of these devices and physical files”.
“After she had done so, the Answering Respondent (CM Banerjee) left the premises so as not to inconvenience the officials of the Enforcement Directorate in any way,” the counter affidavit said, adding that the ED’s own panchnamas record that the searches continued thereafter and were conducted “peacefully and in an orderly manner”.
CM Banerjee has also argued that neither the Trinamool nor its officials are accused in the alleged coal scam, and therefore, the ED cannot claim any right to the party’s proprietary data.
The counter affidavit has further accused the ED of acting with mala fide intent, alleging that the searches were carried out in the run-up to the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections and after a prolonged period of inaction.
It has questioned the timing of the operations, claiming they coincided with I-PAC possessing “critical documents”, including a proposed list of candidates for the upcoming polls.
Alleging violations of statutory safeguards under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the affidavit also states that the ED failed to produce any audio or video recordings of the searches. This, it claimed, raises a “strong presumption” that the searches were clandestine and aimed at accessing confidential political data.
Earlier, on January 15, the Supreme Court had stayed the FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police against ED officials in connection with the searches, and had also directed the preservation of CCTV footage and other digital storage devices containing recordings of the searched premises and the surrounding areas.
Crime
Mumbai: St Xavier’s College Receives Bomb Threat; No Explosives Found

Mumbai: St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat on Tuesday, said the official.
According to the Mumbai police, St Xavier’s College in Mahim, Mumbai, received a bomb threat. Nothing suspicious was found by the police, and they believe this is primarily a hoax threat.
The police are taking appropriate action and investigating.
More details awaited.
This comes after a series of bomb threats earlier this week caused panic across the city.
On Wednesday, threat emails were received at multiple locations, including the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Vidhan Bhawan, and the High Court.
Police, including the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team, are present on the scene, officials said on Wednesday.
According to the Mumbai police, threat mail has been received at BSE, Vidhan Bhawan and the High Court this morning.
“Adequate security measures have been taken and are in place. Necessary legal action is being taken at the respective police stations,” Mumbai Police said.
On March 8, a hospital in Mumbai received a bomb threat via email, claiming that an “LED blast” would be carried out on the premises.
The email sparked significant panic among patients and staff.
In response, the Mumbai Police’s Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) conducted a thorough inspection of the hospital.
Crime
Mumbai Shocker: Husband Pushes Wife To Death In Front Of Running Local Train At Mulund Station; Arrested

Mumbai: A 42-year-old man, who was captured on CCTV, while pushing his wife before a running local train owing to marital discord, has been arrested in Surat. The accused, Rajukumar Gupta, an electrician, went absconding with his younger son after pushing Pushpa, 36, to her death on the morning of March 14. Hours before the incident, the victim had even lodged a police complaint.
According to victim’s brother Kamlesh Kumar Gupta, 30, who is a soldier, the couple had frequent quarrels and hence he had come to take his sister and his elder nephew, 15, back to their UP native. In his complaint to the Kurla GRP, Kamlesh, who lives in UP, said that on March 14, when they were set to go to UP, Rajukumar and Pushpa again had an argument, prompting the latter to approach the police. Kamlesh said that subsequently, he, Pushpa and her 15-year-old son reached the Mulund station.
However, he realised that he had forgotten his Army ID card at Rajukumar’s house. Hence, he along with his nephew went back, however, an enraged Rajukumar locked the duo inside the house. The accused then arrived at the Mulund station, where he saw his wife standing on platform 1. He pushed her in front of a running local train and fled, said the FIR.
Commuters alerted the station master, following which the railway authorities rushed Pushpa to a government hospital, where she was declared dead. Kamlesh said that he somehow managed to alert neighbours, who helped open the door.
Police said the CCTV footage from the station has captured the incident. Based on the complaint, the Kurla GRP has registered an FIR against Rajukumar under section 103 (punishment for murder) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Crime
Mira Bhayandar Hospital Shocker: 89-Year-Old Patient On Ventilator Bitten By Rat, Sparking Outrage Over Safety Lapses

Mira Bhayandar: A shocking and infuriating incident has come to light at the Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Hospital in Mira Bhayandar, where an elderly woman in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) was reportedly bitten by a rat. The incident has raised serious questions regarding the lack of hygiene and security within the hospital’s most critical department.
The victim, 89-year-old Suhasini Mathekar, was admitted to the hospital on March 12 following health complaints. Due to her critical condition, she was placed on a ventilator in the ICU located on the fourth floor of the facility.
On the morning of March 13, family members visiting the ICU were horrified to discover that a rat had bitten the elderly woman’s hand. According to the family, the rodent scurried away only after they intervened.
The victim’s family has leveled serious allegations against the hospital staff. They have questioned how the doctors and nurses on night duty failed to notice the presence of a rat or the distress of a patient in such a sensitive environment.
“It is shocking that such an incident could occur in a supposedly sterile and highly monitored zone like the ICU,” a family member stated. Public outrage is mounting over the perceived administrative apathy, with many calling for a high-level inquiry into the hospital’s management.
The presence of rodents in an ICU points to a complete breakdown of sanitation and safety protocols. Such lapses not only affect individual patients but also pose a significant infection risk to everyone in the ward.
The family has officially demanded A thorough investigation into the conduct of the staff on duty. An immediate audit of the hospital’s cleanliness and pest control measures. And Strict action against those responsible for the lapse to ensure such a traumatic event never recurs.
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