The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has escalated its investigation into the multi-crore coal smuggling case in West Bengal by summoning seven additional coal traders for questioning. This brings the total number of summoned traders to 15. The recent summons follow the controversy surrounding simultaneous search operations at the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office and the residence of its director, Pratik Jain, on January 8 in connection with the same case.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s house and office during the I-PAC search operations, accusing the ED of seizing party documents under the guise of investigation. This led to a legal conflict reaching the Calcutta High Court and later the Supreme Court. The apex court intervened by staying FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police against ED officials, citing alleged interference by state agencies in a central probe.
The Supreme Court, in its interim order, directed the preservation of CCTV footage and other recordings from the searched premises until the next hearing date. Amid these legal developments, the ED has refocused on the coal smuggling network in West Bengal and Jharkhand. Additional individuals linked to the coal trade have been summoned for questioning to gather more information about the money trail from coal smuggling and potential connections to influential figures.
The ED conducted extensive raids in November last year at over 40 locations in West Bengal and Jharkhand related to the coal smuggling case. These operations resulted in the seizure of numerous documents, along with the recovery of a substantial amount of cash and jewelry.
