Overview
- ED teams searched I-PAC’s Salt Lake office and I-PAC director Pratik Jain’s residence in Kolkata, saying the action stems from a 2020 CBI FIR on alleged coal pilferage and related hawala flows.
- Officials said searches covered 10 locations, including six in West Bengal and four in Delhi, and emphasized that no party office was searched and the operation was not linked to elections.
- ED alleged the chief minister entered two premises and took away files and electronic devices, while Mamata Banerjee accused the agency of trying to seize Trinamool’s strategy, candidate lists and internal data.
- The agency moved the Calcutta High Court citing obstruction during its probe; I-PAC also filed a petition seeking judicial relief, with hearings expected on Friday.
- ED sources alleged hawala operators routed crores to I-PAC, including payments tied to past election work, as BJP leaders questioned why party documents were at a private consultancy and TMC called the raids political, announcing a Kolkata protest rally today.