The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee entered the Kolkata residence of I-PAC director Pratik Jain during a raid in a money laundering case connected to alleged coal smuggling, and “forcibly removed key evidence, physical documents and electronic devices” with her aides and state police, according to. PTI,
The ED said that raids were being conducted at 10 premises, six in West Bengal and four in Delhi since 7 am, as part of a 2020 case registered by the CBI against a coal smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majhi alias ‘Lala’, who allegedly stole and illegally excavated coal from the Eastern Coalfield leasehold areas in and around Asansol in Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district.
According to the federal probe agency, transactions amounting to tens of crores of rupees were facilitated by a hawala operator linked to coal smuggling to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the registered entity of political consultancy firm I-PAC.
The proceedings were being carried out peacefully and professionally until Banerjee arrived with a large contingent of police officers, it said. She reportedly entered the residence of Pratik Jain, co-founder of I-PAC and head of the IT cell of the Trinamool Congress, West Bengal’s ruling party, and removed “key evidence”. The ED alleged that “IPAC is also one of the entities linked to Hawala money.”
The agency mentioned that the actions of Banerjee and the Kolkata Police commissioner caused “obstructions” in the ongoing investigation and proceedings being carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED clarified, “It is clarified that the search is evidence-based and not targeted at any political establishment. No party office has been searched.” It added that the search was part of a routine anti-money laundering operation, not connected to any elections, and was being carried out in full compliance with established legal safeguards.
I-PAC also manages the IT cell of the Trinamool Congress. Assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled to be held in the first half of this year.
West Bengal LoP reacts
Meanwhile, while describing CM Banerjee’s visit to the residence of IPAC chief Pratik Jain during an ED raid on Thursday as “unconstitutional and interference” in the central agency’s investigation, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari stated the ED should initiate action against the chief minister.
“I feel that the chief minister and the Kolkata police commissioner’s visit was unethical, unconstitutional and direct interference in the central agency’s investigation,” Adhikari told reporters shortly after their visit to Jain’s Loudon Street residence.
