Politics: In a high-voltage political drama unfolding in West Bengal, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted simultaneous searches at multiple locations in Kolkata, including the office of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Salt Lake Sector V and the Loudon Street residence of its co-founder and director, Pratik Jain. The raids, part of an ongoing money laundering investigation tied to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam, escalated rapidly when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally arrived at Jain’s residence amid the operation.
Pratik Jain an IIT Bombay alumnus and key figure in Trinamool Congress (TMC) operations as head of its IT cell, was present during the searches. Sources indicate the ED’s actions stem from evidence linking proceeds of the coal scam—originally probed by the CBI since 2020—to certain financial transactions involving I-PAC.
Emerging from Jain’s residence holding what she described as party documents, including a prominent green file and a hard disk, Mamata Banerjee accused the ED of attempting to seize sensitive TMC data, such as candidate lists and election strategies for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Assembly polls.
“This is political vendetta orchestrated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” Banerjee alleged, calling the raids “unconstitutional” and a “murder of democracy.” She questioned the timing ahead of elections and dared the BJP to contest politically rather than through central agencies.
The ED clarified that the searches were based purely on merits of the coal smuggling case, involving hawala transactions and cash flows, and denied any electoral linkage or targeting of political parties.
Political Reactions Intensify Tensions
TMC Response: The party announced statewide protests, framing the action as an assault on federalism and democracy.
BJP Counter: Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari labeled Banerjee’s intervention as “unconstitutional obstruction” of a central agency’s work, drawing parallels to past incidents.
The incident highlights escalating Centre-State friction in West Bengal as the 2026 elections approach, with I-PAC’s close association with TMC’s campaign strategies placing it at the center of the storm. No arrests have been reported so far, and investigations continue.
