Kolkata: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of interfering with an ongoing money laundering investigation by entering the residence of I-PAC director Pratik Jain during a raid and taking away crucial evidence, including documents and electronic devices.
In an official statement, the federal agency alleged that Banerjee later went to the I-PAC office in Salt Lake, where physical records and electronic material were forcibly removed in the presence of her aides and state police personnel. The ED claimed these actions obstructed proceedings being carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
The agency said the searches were part of a wider operation covering 10 locations — six in West Bengal and four in Delhi — linked to a coal smuggling case originally registered by the CBI in 2020. The case pertains to an alleged syndicate led by Anup Majhi, also known as Lala, accused of illegally mining and diverting coal from Eastern Coalfields Limited areas in Paschim Bardhaman district.
According to the ED, investigations revealed that a hawala operator connected to the coal smuggling network facilitated transactions worth several crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the registered entity of political consultancy firm I-PAC. The agency further alleged that I-PAC is among the entities linked to hawala money transfers.
The ED maintained that the search operations were being conducted in a lawful and professional manner until the Chief Minister’s arrival with senior police officials. It alleged that Banerjee entered the premises of Pratik Jain, co-founder of I-PAC and head of the Trinamool Congress IT cell, and removed evidence vital to the probe.
Rejecting claims of political targeting, the agency clarified that no political party office was searched and that the investigation had no connection with elections. It asserted that the operation was evidence-based and part of a routine crackdown on money laundering activities, carried out strictly in accordance with legal procedures.
