Quick reads

• The Calcutta High Court adjourned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) hearing on raids at I-PAC sites after severe commotion in court.
• Justice Suvra Ghosh said repeated calls for order were ignored and postponed the hearing to January 14, 2026.
• The disruption reportedly involved loud arguments between lawyers, apprentices and parties present, forcing the judge to walk out.
• The hearing relates to ED raids on political consultancy I-PAC, linked in reporting to the broader dispute between the agency and the West Bengal government.
• Court records say the courtroom environment was “not conducive” to continue, prompting the adjournment.

The story

What happened

A scheduled Calcutta High Court hearing on petitions connected to the Enforcement Directorate’s raids at I-PAC offices was abruptly adjourned after the courtroom descended into chaos. Justice Suvra Ghosh told the courtroom she was forced to stop the proceedings because repeated pleas for order were being ignored, and she short-circuited the matter by adjourning it to January 14, 2026.

Where it happened

The incident occurred in a main courtroom of the Calcutta High Court in Kolkata during a high-profile hearing linked to raids and counter-petitions filed by the ED and others. The case arose from Enforcement Directorate action at several sites connected to I-PAC, a political consultancy that has been in the news for its ties to state politics.

How it unfolded

According to court reports and journalists present, lawyers, apprentices and some parties began shouting and attempting to outvoke one another as arguments grew heated. Despite the bench’s repeated calls for decorum, order was not restored; Justice Suvra Ghosh described the environment as “not conducive to continue” and walked out after announcing the adjournment. Several media outlets and court summaries say the commotion included a shouting match that made it impossible to proceed.

Why it matters

The adjournment interrupts judicial scrutiny of the ED’s raids and the counter-allegations that have inflamed relations between the central agency and the West Bengal government. The disruption also raises questions about courtroom decorum in politically sensitive matters and the challenges judges face in preserving order during high-voltage hearings. The matter will next be heard on January 14, when the court will decide how to proceed after the breakdown in proceedings.