New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) intensified its investigation into the multi-crore West Bengal coal smuggling case on Thursday, April 2, 2026, by conducting fresh searches at multiple premises linked to executives of the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC). The coordinated raids were carried out across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Delhi, targeting individuals suspected of involvement in the laundering of proceeds from illegal coal mining and pilferage. Among the primary locations covered were the premises of I-PAC co-founder and director Rishi Raj Singh.
This latest action is a continuation of a high-profile probe that saw the ED raid I-PAC’s Kolkata office and the residence of its founder, Pratik Jain, in January. The agency alleges that a significant portion of the “proceeds of crime”—estimated to be around ₹20 crore—was diverted to I-PAC through hawala channels to fund political campaigns, including the Trinamool Congress’s (TMC) previous assembly and outreach efforts. The January raids were marked by intense political drama, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself arriving at the site, leading to a legal standoff where the ED accused the state administration of obstructing federal officers and removing key evidence.
Rishi Raj Singh and another senior functionary were recently summoned by the federal agency to record their statements. However, both executives have moved the Delhi High Court seeking to quash the notices. Their legal challenge cites their current involvement in critical “election work” in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, arguing that the summons are timed to disrupt their professional commitments during the ongoing poll season. The court is expected to hear the matter shortly, even as the ED maintains that the summons are necessary to corroborate financial trails uncovered during previous searches.
The broader coal smuggling case involves the illegal extraction of coal from mines operated by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in West Bengal. Central agencies claim the syndicate, allegedly led by kingpin Anup Majee alias ‘Lala,’ operated with the “active assistance” of local administration and politically connected individuals. With total proceeds of crime in the case estimated at over ₹2,700 crore, the ED is systematically unravelling the layers of the underground hawala network to identify the ultimate beneficiaries of the illicit trade.
