The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the Salt Lake Sector V office of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), a consulting firm associated with Trinamool Congress since 2019. A team from Delhi was involved in the operation, which also included searching the residence of I-PAC’s co-founder, Pratik Jain.
Officials from the ED visited Pratik Jain’s Loudon Street residence, where searches are ongoing. The raid is linked to an old case related to coal smuggling in Delhi, with I-PAC’s name being connected to various transactions in that case, according to ED sources. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma visited Jain’s residence following the development.
In another part of Kolkata, an ED team visited the residence of a businessman in connection with the same case. The operation, carried out with central forces’ assistance, surprised the I-PAC team, currently focused on preparations for the upcoming West Bengal Assembly polls. The central forces sealed off the 11th-floor office in Sector V, where the raid took place, preventing entry and exit.
Senior officials of I-PAC resorted to virtual meetings as the day progressed, coordinating from their homes. The organization, founded by Prashant Kishor, has been pivotal in Trinamool Congress’s electoral success post-2019. After Kishor’s exit, the organization is now led by three directors, including Pratik Jain, who plays a key role in the Trinamool Congress relationship.
