Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Apr 2: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out simultaneous raids at multiple locations linked to political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), in connection with the ongoing West Bengal coal smuggling case.

Operations were underway in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi, including the premises of Rishi Raj Singh, one of I-PAC’s directors, in Bengaluru. Officials said these searches are part of the central agency’s continued crackdown into the alleged multi-crore coal smuggling scam, which has seen several raids and arrests over the past few years.

I-PAC has played a key role in shaping election strategies for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress ahead of the upcoming Bengal Assembly elections.

Earlier in January, the ED had conducted searches at I-PAC’s Kolkata office and at the premises of another director, Pratik Jain, as part of the same money laundering investigation. Those raids triggered a major political controversy when Mamata Banerjee and several Trinamool leaders entered the I-PAC Salt Lake office during the operation. The ED alleged that Banerjee removed key evidence, including documents and electronic devices, from the site. Banerjee denied the claims, accusing the central agency of overreach.

Following the January incident, the ED approached the High Court and the Supreme Court seeking directions for an independent CBI inquiry, arguing that a neutral central agency is necessary due to alleged state government interference.

According to the ED, nearly Rs 10 crore in alleged proceeds of crime were routed to I-PAC via hawala channels, with payments linked to the Trinamool Congress’s engagement of the firm during the 2022 Goa Assembly elections.