India’s Supreme Court is currently hearing a case against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has been accused of obstructing an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation. The allegation stems from an incident on January 8, 2026, when Banerjee arrived with senior police officers during ED searches at the home and office of a consultancy linked to her party, the Trinamool Congress. The agency claims she removed files and electronic devices from the premises, which Banerjee later acknowledged as political documents.

The ED, operating under India’s Finance Ministry, investigates money laundering and has the authority to make arrests. While Banerjee faces no corruption charges, the Supreme Court is treating the obstruction allegation seriously. The report also outlines previous instances where Indian chief ministers were arrested by central agencies, including Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal, Bihar’s Lalu Prasad Yadav, Jharkhand’s Hemant Soren, and Tamil Nadu’s late J. Jayalalithaa.

The article notes that both the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have low conviction rates, and accusations persist that the ruling party uses these agencies against political opponents.