The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out fresh searches at multiple premises linked to Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) Consulting Private Limited in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi in connection with the ongoing West Bengal coal smuggling case, according to reports.
Search operations were also conducted at locations associated with I-PAC director Rishi Raj Singh in Bengaluru as part of the widening probe.
The latest action forms part of the agency’s continuing investigation into the alleged coal scam, which involves accusations of illegal mining and theft of coal from the leasehold areas of Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) in and around Paschim Bardhaman district of West Bengal. The case has previously led to several rounds of searches and arrests.
Earlier in January, the ED had carried out coordinated raids across Delhi and West Bengal, including at I-PAC offices and the residence of its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata, triggering significant political controversy.
I-PAC, a political consultancy firm, has been closely associated with the Trinamool Congress and has played a key role in shaping election strategies for the party led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Following the January searches, Mamata Banerjee had visited Jain’s residence, alleging that central agencies were attempting to access internal documents related to the party’s election strategy.
The coal smuggling investigation centres on allegations that illegally mined coal was transported and distributed with the alleged involvement of railway officials and personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), alongside hawala operators who facilitated the movement of illicit proceeds.
An FIR in the case was registered in 2020.
Investigators have also traced alleged financial transactions routed through hawala channels, including funds amounting to several crores, some of which are reported to have been linked to I-PAC. The development subsequently brought director Pratik Jain under the ED’s scanner, officials said.
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