The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday strongly criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her alleged interference in an Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigation involving political consultancy firm I-PAC, observing that such actions “put democracy in jeopardy,” according to reports.

The remarks came during a hearing before a bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice NV Anjaria, which was hearing petitions filed by the ED seeking registration of an FIR by the CBI against Mamata Banerjee and West Bengal police officials. The case relates to alleged obstruction during ED raids on Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), a political consultancy linked to the Trinamool Congress.

The Enforcement Directorate has accused the West Bengal Chief Minister and state officials of interfering in its search operations conducted in early January as part of a money laundering investigation.

As quoted by Hindustan Times, the Supreme Court observed, “This is, per se, an action by an individual who happens to be the CM who has used the entire system to put democracy in jeopardy.”

The bench further added that such an incident was unprecedented in constitutional history, stating, “You have taken us through the writings of HM Seervai, BR Ambedkar, but none of them would have conceived this situation in this country, that one day a sitting Chief Minister will walk into the office during an ongoing investigation.”

The state government, however, has maintained that the ED raids were politically motivated and aimed at targeting the Trinamool Congress ahead of elections.

According to allegations referenced in the case, Mamata Banerjee had reportedly entered the residence of I-PAC head Pratik Jain during the ED operation and allegedly left with certain documents and a mobile phone, despite the ongoing investigation.