The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out searches at the office of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC) and the residence of its head Pratik Jain in connection with the alleged coal smuggling case, according to media reports.
IPAC is known for providing political consultancy services to the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Within hours of the ED action, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence on Loudon Street in Kolkata. She was seen collecting some documents during her brief visit. Speaking to reporters after leaving the premises, Banerjee strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that central investigating agencies were being misused to politically target her party.
The Chief Minister stated that such actions were aimed at intimidation and would not deter her government. She further announced that she would also visit IPAC’s office in Salt Lake later in the day.
The ED has not issued any detailed statement regarding the outcome of the searches so far. The coal smuggling case has been under investigation for some time, with multiple raids and questioning conducted by central agencies in West Bengal.
